Nigeria’s military has killed 35 jihadists in a series of air strikes near its north-eastern border with Cameroon, it said in a statement.

The strikes were carried out in four areas to thwart an attempt by the jihadists to attack ground troops, the military added.

Nigeria has been battling jihadist groups for more than a decade, as well as violent criminal gangs, sectarian conflict and widespread kidnappings for ransom.

On Saturday, a group of prominent Nigerians, including ex-government ministers, business persons and civil society activists, issued a statement, raising concern that parts of Nigeria were enduring “war-time levels of slaughter”, while the country was officially at peace.

The group cited a report released in May by rights group Amnesty International, which said that at least 10,217 people had been killed since President Bola Tinubu took office two years ago.

It called for the formation of a Presidential Task Force with wide-ranging powers to to end the numerous conflicts – including the resurgence of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east.

Last week, the army reported killing nearly 600 militants in eight months in the region. There is no independent confirmation of the claim.

The Nigerian Air Force said it would continue to provide air cover to ground troops dismantling jihadist bases in the north-east.