Security
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The Nigerian military operations in Sambisa Forest against Boko Haram sect is yielding results as more camps from where the group was operating were routed
THE Nigerian military operations against Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest have been intensified. According to the military authorities, an unconfirmed number of terrorists were killed on Saturday, May 16, as 10 additional camps used by the terrorists were overran in the continuing offensive operations against the terrorists in the forest.
A statement issued by Chris Olukolade, director of defence information, said that Dure camp, “which is one of the most prominent camps in the forest, witnessed the fiercest battle as the Special Forces, backed by air power, descended heavily on it before it finally fell.” According to the statement, four of the camps were located in a place called Iza, within the forest while three others were said to have been established only recently by the terrorists before the assault started.
Olukolade said one soldier died when he stepped on a landmine in the operation while two others were wounded. “The terrorists lost a number of vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns as well as armoured vehicles. Some of the terrorists who escaped from the camps also died as they ran into troops’ ambush in some escape routes from the forest,” he said.
The general also disclosed that some of the fleeing terrorists engaged in suicide missions at Bitta where they encountered the Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the border in Niger Republic.
The operation to clear the terrorists in Sambisa and other forests, he said, would continue as troops on all fronts had been alerted to be on the lookout for fleeing terrorists. “The Nigerian Air Force is maintaining an active air surveillance to track the movement of the terrorists for appropriate action as the operation continues,” he added.
— May 18, 2015 @ 13:05 GMT
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