Again, Military Rescues 20 Women, Children In Sambisa

…..Destroys Ammunition Dump Sites, Tanks, Others

THE military onslaught against Boko Haram insurgents has remained upswing with the rescue of 20 women and children in Sambisa Forest, even as two ammunition dumps and other equipment owned by the terrorists were also destroyed by the troops.

The Director Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said troops are still carrying out offensive in the forest, despite “continuous encounter with large number of land mines.”

Olukolade said: “A total of 20 women and children were rescued at the end of Friday’s operation. They have all been airlifted out of the forest.”

He said a soldier lost his life in the operation while 10 others sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed medical facility. “Some equipment were also damaged or affected by the detonation of land mines in several points in the forest,” he said.

The terrorists also suffered casualties as “scores of them died in the assault on their bases on Friday, while several of their weapons and equipment perished after the encounter.

“Two major ammunition dumps maintained by the terrorists in the forest were also destroyed, along with the four additional terrorists camps that were smashed in the Friday operation. An armoured tank and over 10 vehicles of various types used for their operations, as well as 70 motorcycles and 15 tricycles of the terrorists also perished during the operation.”

Air and artillery bombardment of identified terrorists camps and locations in various parts of the forest is still ongoing.

In another development, the military has intensified surveillance around Bitta town following an incident where two young boys were wounded after picking up a grenade at a refuse dump. Terrorists that fled the town, which is not far from Sambisa forest, are believed to have abandoned the weapon.