The Army headquarters on Tuesday said that the ongoing clearance operations by the military in Borno State has continued to yield positive results with the killing of 22 Boko Haram terrorists and the capture of three commanders of the sect in the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out by troops of 152 and 155 Task Force Battalion of Nigerian Army and Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) in a coordinated joint clearance military operations along the Nigeria-Cameroonian border areas of Borno state.
It noted that the clearance operations covered 10 suspected Boko Harm terrorists’ hideouts along the Cameroonian border areas in the North-East.
Part of the statement reads: “The unprecedented clearance operation swept through over 10 Boko Haram suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts along the borders in which they killed 22, terrorists, arrested three Ameers (commanders) and rescued many abducted persons from the liberated communities in Borno state”.
“Some of the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists who escaped from villages previously cleared by troops of the Nigerian Army, were also killed in the five-hour military operations”, said Usman in the statement.
He also added that six towns and villages of Nbaga, Bula, Dabube, Ybiri, Greya and Suduwa, including adjourning settlements earlier occupied by the fleeing terrorists, were cleared during the operation.
The statement gave the identities of the arrested commanders as; Lawal Abba, Mallam Hisna, and Mallam Gana in Shatte, Bulla Jaja and Bula Burra towns of Borno state.
Speaking on the rescued captives, Col. Usman said the 1, 275 rescued Borno hostages, were held captives of Boko Haram terror group in the cleared communities in the border areas of Cameroon.
“The rescued persons are being administered and screened by 152 Task Force Battalion pending onward movement to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp. It is gratifying to note that the operation was a huge success as there was no casualty or injury on part of the Nigerian and Cameroonian troops”, he said.
