The Nigerian army has rescued as many as 100 women and children from the grip of Boko Haram in Borno.
File photo
According to TheGuardian, Nigerian troops have freed over 100 women and children from Boko Haram’s stronghold Mafa, Borno State, the military said.
The army said the hostages were rescued during “robust and aggressive clearance operations in recent days”.
“Dozens of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters were annihilated,” Sagir Musa, army spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Musa added that large cache of assorted arms, ammunition and so many variants of gun trucks and other fighting vehicles were captured.
The army spokesman also confirmed that troops came under attack on Monday but the army repelled and ‘effectively dealt ruthlessly” with the terrorists. He said three terrorists were killed.
But a report by Sahara Reporters claims that at least seven people were killed including three terrorists while two soldiers sustained varying degrees of injuries during the clash.
The army has regularly claimed control on most of the strongholds of the terrorists yet Boko Haram, which has intensified attacks on military targets, has killed dozens of soldiers and overrunning bases.
More recently in early June, ISWAP fighters attacked military bases south of Baga in Marte, Dikwa and Kirenowa.
On June 14, Islamic State’s West Africa Province claimed of overrunning 158 Task Force Battalion in Kareto, Borno state, killing the unit’s commander and nineteen other soldiers.
A large cache of arms of the unit, a tank and a Shilka were allegedly destroyed during the attack.
The number of military casualties caused in recent attacks is unclear.
The Nigerian military seldom comments on the ongoing counter-insurgency operations, and tends to downplay the insurgents’ effectiveness, rarely acknowledging engagements and seemingly understating military casualties and equipment losses.
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