Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Nigerian Military on Monday said troops of counterterrorism Operation Lafiya Dole have killed 20 Boko Haram fighters during a fierce battle around the Lake Chad shore in northeast Borno State.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen John Enenche, said in a statement that the troops encountered some Boko Haram insurgents on their way to attack villages with high calibre weapons around Baga, some 160 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the Borno capital.
The military encounter with Boko Haram occurred on Sunday.
‘In a decisive intercept offensive operation, troops of 130 Battalion with the support of Army Super Camp Baga had a fierce encounter at the north-west of Baga town with Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT/ISWAP) Criminals on the 17th of May 2020,’ Gen Enenche said in the statement.
He said the terrorists were armed with mortars, rocket propelled grenades and small arms ‘heading to attack villages surrounding Baga.’
He disclosed that military troops intercepted and attacked the terrorists’ convoy with ‘overwhelming firepower’ killing 20 of the Boko Haram fighters.
Troops also seized six AK 47 Rifles, 520 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and five 36 hand grenades from the terrorists.
Nine soldiers were wounded in the operation with no loss of life of any troops, Gen Eneche said.
Boko Haram sacked the fish town of Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area on the shore of Lake Chad late December 2018 for the third time. The terrorists also abducted some soldiers in the attack which they later killed.
However, the military has stepped up its offensive against the terrorists in recent months, recording more successes.