Nigeria says extremists 'greatly degraded;' suicide bombings suggest otherwise

Injured victims of a suicide bomb attack receive treatment at a hospital in Maiduguri, Nigeria, June 30, 2024. [AP Photo]

For the first time since 2020, three female suicide bombers attacked the Nigerian border town of Gwoza, where Boko Haram extremists declared a short-lived caliphate 10 years ago, signaling that the world's longest war on militancy is still ongoing.

This came two days after officials touted success in their war against extremists, with Nigerian military spokesperson Major General Edward Buba telling reporters the often-used phrase: "We have greatly degraded the terrorists."