Nigeria Army 'kills 1,015 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists' in northeast in 7 weeks

25 Mai 2020

Abuja, Nigeria, May  25 (Infosplusgabon) – The Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, on Sunday said that soldiers have killed over 1,015 Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in different encounters in the northeast in the past seven weeks.

Speaking when he hosted the troops to Eid-El-Fitr luncheon at Military Control and Command Centre in Maiduguri, he said the terrorists were killed when he took command of the troops in the war.

He explained that operations conducted at the Tumbuktu Triangles around Sambisa Forest have been greatly successful.

Saying that troops succeeded in dislodging major camps of the terrorists at Mungusum, Gajirin, Talala, Buk, and Malumti, among others, the Army Chief stated that “hundreds of terrorists" have been neutralised in the different camps and many more hundreds have been injured and are hiding in the forest with serious wounds.

“This explains why the terrorists have resorted to desperate attacks on towns and villages such as Babangida and Dapchi searching for medical supplies and other logistics to treat their injured colleagues, who are dying like fowls in the forest."

General Buratai lauded them for maintaining the blockage of Boko Haram logistics supply chains and freedom of movement within the Tumbuktu Triangles. In a like manner, he said, the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps has impressively been organised and its operations have greatly improved.”

He acknowledged that the soldiers have also sustained “some casualties” while others sustained injuries. “We pray for the departed souls even as you continue to look after injured ones to the best available standard.”

The Army Chief added that like all other sectors in the country, the Nigerian army has its own share of some challenges. He said these have been further compounded by the global lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, which to some extent, has delayed the arrival and delivery of some much needed military equipment.

He added that they were restructuring the forces to enable them to fight better within the dictates of the new asymmetric warfare being encountered.

In his remarks, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, acknowledged the tremendous success recorded by the military during the last two months and prayed to God to give the troops more strength, wisdom, courage, long life and productivity to fight the insurgency.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AHG/GABON2020

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