Troops kill 404 Boko Haram terrorists, rescue 1,018 civilians in four months

Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, has said 404 Boko Haram terrorists were killed, while 15 soldiers were lost in the fight against insurgents in last four months.

Attahiru disclosed this at the weekend in Maiduguri, while briefing journalists on military measures of clearing Sambisa Forest of fleeing insurgents that attack and ambush motorists along Maiduguri-Chibok-Biu road.

While indicating that the terrorists carried out 97 suicide and vehicle borne attacks between March and June this year, Attahiru added: “Our troops however during the same period rescued 1,018 civilians held in various camps of Boko Haram insurgents in the forest and Northern parts of Borno, comprising various villages and communities on shores of Lake Chad.”

He further disclosed that a total of 1,018 Boko Haram suspects were also arrested during the period under review, even as he noted that only 67 Boko Haram suspects have so far voluntarily surrendered to troops.

The 700 Boko Haram insurgents earlier said to have given up their struggle were actually those that indicated their intention to surrender, the commander said, adding that more villages and settlements are still being cleared within the forest under the special operation code named: ‘Deep Punch.’