LAGOS, Nigeria
The Nigerian military killed 50 Boko Haram terrorists in the country’s volatile northeast region, an official said Thursday.
According to a statement by military spokesman Lieut. Col. Sani Uba, the incidents occurred in the early hours of Thursday, when the terrorists targeted military bases in Dikwa, Mafa and Gajibo in Borno state as well as Katarko in neighboring Yobe state.
He said troops fought gallantly and professionally, repelling the attacks and inflicting devastating losses on the terrorists.
Uba also said troops recovered 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, two general-purpose machine guns (GPMGs), hand grenades and thousands of assorted rounds of ammunition after the clashes.
“The precision strikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by the theatre’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus to respond with overwhelming and lethal force,” he said.
The military added that some soldiers sustained injuries but were in stable condition in the hospital.
Boko Haram, a terrorist group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger and Cameroon, is notorious for attacks on civilians, security forces and schools, including mass shootings, bombings and kidnappings.
The insurgency has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions since 2009.
Despite gains by the Nigerian military, including the capture of strongholds and the killing of commanders, large parts of Borno remain vulnerable to renewed attacks.