by Ranti Joseph

The Nigerian military on Wednesday, February 18, revealed it has killed over 300 Boko Haram insurgents and captured many others in its ongoing six weeks counter-insurgency operation in North Eastern Nigeria.

The Defence spokesperson, Major General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement that the massive casualty on the insurgents is a result of the on-going air and land operation in the area in the past two days.

He said several weapons and equipment were also captured while some were destroyed during the operation stating that five armoured vehicles, one anti-aircraft gun, 50 cases of packed bombs, eight different types of machine guns and five rocket propelled grenade were recovered from the operation.

Also 49 boxes of various types and calibres of ammunition, 300 motorcycles, six Hilux vehicles, including those mounted with anti-aircraft guns, were destroyed.

Olukolade explained that the aggressive operation by troops of the Nigerian military will continue to ensure that 11 communities – Monguno, Gabchari, Abba Jabari, Zuntur, Gajigana, Gajiram, Damakar, Kumaliwa, Bosso Wanti, Jeram and Kabrisungul now dominated by the military is cleared of insurgents.

He revealed that two soldiers died during the operation while 10 others were wounded. He said various phases of the highly coordinated operations is also on-going in the designated theatres being handled by contingents involved in the renewed counter-terrorism campaign in and outside Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the military had on Monday said it recaptured Monguno town and other communities from terrorists. Boko Haram had carried out a pre-dawn attack on Monguno, which is about 137 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital over two weeks ago.

The takeover of Monguno and other communities brought Boko Haram closer to Maiduguri but the army successfully repelled the insurgents’ attempts to get into Maiduguri.

Janeth J