A large number of Boko Haram insurgents have drowned in Lake Chad as they fled the bombardment by Nigerian Air Force.
Though the number of the dead terrorists
was not given, it was said that many of them died as they fled the
aerial attacks by NAF jets on Baga, the location of Multi-National Joint
Taskforce base seized by the sect in January, 2015.
A statement by the Director, Defence
Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade in Abuja on Saturday, said the
insurgents had buried land mines in over 1,500 spots on the routes
leading to the town.
It said all the land mines were
skilfully cleared one after the other, noting that the mining of the
grounds could not save the terrorists from the aggressive move of
advancing troops.
“A large number of terrorists have
drowned in Lake Chad as they fled the heavy bombardment by Nigerian Air
force heralding the advance of Nigerian troops on mission to flush them
out of Baga.
“Not even the strategy of mining over
1500 spots with land mines on the routes leading to the town could save
the terrorists from the aggressive move of advancing troops.
“Many of the terrorists died while an
unknown but substantial number of them fled with various degrees of
injury, in the series of encounter along the routes of advance of the as
troops headed for Baga,” the statement added.
Olukolade said apart from the five
anti-aircraft guns and the rifles captured from the terrorists, over 34
motorcycles and five vehicles including trucks being used for operations
by the terrorists were destroyed in the course of the fighting as
troops headed for Baga, noting that the troops finally began clearing
the terrorists on arrival in the town early Saturday morning.
The Defence spokesman said a
comprehensive cordon and search phase of military operation has now
commenced to enable troops mop up arms and ammunition and also apprehend
any terrorist who might be hiding in the vicinity.
The exercise, he added, would also
determine details of the casualties inflicted or incurred in the course
of the operations to clear Baga and environs of terrorists.
Olukolade said similar exercise is being
carried out in over 15 locations namely Gajigana, Ngaze, Ngenzai, Marte
Junction, Mile 90, Yoyo, Kekeno, Kukawa, Cross Kauwa, Kangarwa,
Amirari, Kichimatari, Borokari Barati, Kauwa and other localities where
troops have flushed out the terrorists in the operations preceding the
entry to Baga.
