Troops have killed at least 37 Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria and 13 arrested logistic suppliers of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The terrorists were killed during a raid on their camps in Kayamari, Habasha and Yuwe villages in the Konduga Local Government area of North East Borno State.
This comes as troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) pile pressure on the insurgents in Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin region.
Among the terrorists who were killed included a top Boko Haram commander, Abu Illiya.
The troops encountered the terrorists in the course of a counter-offensive patrol which led to a heavy gun battle.
Benisheikh and Jakana in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno state had for many years remained some of the largest logistics supplies hubs for the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
Return to normalcy
The MNJTF Chief of Military Public Information Office, Lt-Col Kamarudeen Adegoke, said in a statement on Wednesday that several clearances and stabilisation operations were carried out recently to destroy the terrorists and deny them freedom of action to return normalcy to the Lake Chad Basin area.
In the Cameroon axis, MNJTF troops conducted ambush operations in Kolofata-Kirawa to disrupt logistics support to the terrorists.
This resulted in the capture of one terrorist while a significant quantity of assorted foodstuffs was recovered and many terrorists with suspected gunshot wounds fled.
Authorities in Nigeria have reported that the insurgents who have been troubling parts of the country since 2009 have been decimated and no longer have a stronghold in any area.
More than 65,000 people have been killed since the fight against the insurgents started. Also, no fewer than 2.1 million displaced persons have been settled in many camps across the country.
The insurgency had adversely affected agriculture and fishing which are the mainstay of the people of the Lake Chad region and those living in the fringes and borders of Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
Source: theeastafrican.co.ke