Nigeria’s army said Friday it had killed 74 suspected Boko Haram fighters in a raid on insurgent camps in restive Borno state, the latest operation in the military’s bid to crush a four-year Islamist uprising.
“The operations, which involved ground and aerial assault…led to the destruction of the identified terrorists camps, killing 74 suspected militants,” area army spokesman Mohammed Dole said of the Thursday raid in Borno in the northeast, Boko Haram’s stronghold.
The strike targeted two villages in the Mainok local government area, not far from Borno’s capital of Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded more than a decade ago.
It followed a Monday assault on Boko Haram camps in another part of Borno, which the military said left 37 Islamists dead.
The military launched its offensive against Boko Haram more than four months ago and has claimed major successes.
But last month, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the country’s top military leaders to redouble their efforts following a spate of brutal attacks blamed on the Islamists that killed hundreds of defenceless civilians, including scores of students.
The phone network in Borno has been switched off since the offensive was launched. The military’s version of fighting has therefore been difficult to verify with local leaders and residents.
AFP
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