Nigerian soldiers kill 33 Boko Haram insurgents- Official

The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on Insurgency on Thursday said its troops killed 33 Boko Haram insurgents and recovered high calibre ammunitions in the Lake Chad basin.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri, Timothy Antigha, Chief Military Public Information Officer, MNJTF, said the troops recorded successes in the past two days under ongoing operation YANCHI TAFKI.

Mr Antigha disclosed that the troops in a recent encounter, also intercepted and killed Boko Haram insurgents at Tunbum Rego, a major terrorists’ hideout island in Lake Chad.

He added that troops of MNJTF’s Sector 4, in a separate attack at the insurgents’ hideout at Arege, “killed many of them, destroyed their equipment and recovered ammunitions”.

“In a recent engagement, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms as well as ground attack, aircraft from a coalition of Cameroonian, Niger and Nigerian Air Forces intercepted and destroyed Boko Haram terrorists in Tunbum Rego.

“Tunbum Rego is a prominent island in Lake Chad, believed to harbour high valued Boko Haram targets.

“MNJTF troops from Sector 4, attacked Boko Haram assets at Arege, killing scores of the terrorists in the process”.

Mr Antighha listed the equipment recovered from the insurgents as two gun trucks, two motorcycles, one 120 mm mortar tube, two 60 mm mortar bombs and 12 AK-47 rifles.

He said that one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) own(Ed)by the terrorists was destroyed by the troops.

Ammunition recovered, according to the spokesperson, included 3,736 rounds of assorted types and two hand grenades.

He added that the MNJTF warned individuals still associated with Boko Haram to surrender themselves for demobilisation and rehabilitation, while the opportunity still existed.

(NAN)