SAN FRANCISCO, December 30, 2013, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Army on Monday said a weekend clampdown on Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State has left 56 members of the sect dead.
It said the clampdown was in response to latest attacks on four villages by the insurgents.
The Spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Capt. Aliyu Danja, confirmed the killing of the insurgents while speaking in Maiduguri, the state capital, on Monday.
Danja said the clampdown was in furtherance of the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.
He disclosed that the troops of 7 Division of Nigerian Army, with the support of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a 30-minute joint aerial and ground bombardments on fleeing terror suspects in Alafa general area near the notorious Sambisa forest during which the 56 insurgents were killed.
“A lot of weapons, equipment and vehicles belonging to the terrorists were also destroyed by the troops on ground and from multiple air strikes of Alfa jets that reinforced the massive repulsion and killings of insurgents,” he said as he lamented that “two of our soldiers sustained injuries, in Saturday’s operations against Boko Haram insurgency in this state.”
According to Danja, “The multiple attacks against the insurgents at Alafa village and three others on the Bama-Gwoza road axis are part of the ongoing operations conducted by the military to ensure peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations in Borno state.”
He added that aside cooperating with the military to end the four year old insurgency, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 7 Division Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. Obidah Ethan, has urged residents of the state to continue with their cooperation and assistance to the military by providing useful intelligence information on the insurgents, saying “This will, in no small measure, ease our operations to secure people’s lives and property in this state.’’
The Boko Haram gunmen were said to have attacked four villages recently where they reportedly killed three residents. Eyewitnesses disclosed that the Bama-Gwoza road was attacked with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), rocket launchers and petrol-bombs by the sect who succeeded in torching a primary school, quarry plant, and several houses in Kiva and Warabe communities where they also killed three persons.
The gunmen, were also said to have also attacked Alafa and Pulka villages as well as Bama town , 78 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri.
They were reported to have also attacked Tashan Alede and Kwajafa village in Hawul Local Government, a predominantly Christian area of the state, killing seven persons and injuring eight others.
Observers believe that the attacks were the direct manifestation of the threat issued last week by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, that the sect is waging war against President Goodluck Jonathan and all Christians in the country . He had warned that any Christian who escapes the attacks by the sect should count himself or herself lucky.
