Abuja: At least 35 militants were taken out on Saturday in aerial offensives near the border with Cameroon in the northeast of the country, following intel reports indicating that the group intended to launch an attack on Nigerian ground troops, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed in a statement.

According to Qatar News Agency, the statement added that the offensives targeted four points where militants were dug in. Later, there was communication with the land forces, which confirmed that they had secured the region.

The operation was part of an intensified campaign in the northeast of the country, following last week's report in which the military stated that it had killed 592 militants over eight months.