Boko Haram terrorists fleeing Nigerian Air Force strikes have drowned in Lake Chad, according to a statement from Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information. The statement claims the men died attempting to escape a mission to flush the Islamic terror group out of the border town of Baga, where Boko Haram slaughtered an estimated 2,000 citizens last month.
“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,” Major General Chris Olukolade said in the statement, adding: “All the land mines were skilfully cleared one after the other. Eventually, the resistance of the terrorists collapsed and the land forces finally stormed the town in the early hours of Friday.
“Many of the terrorists died while an unknown but substantial number of them fled with various degrees of injury, in the series of encounters along the routes of advance as troops headed for Baga.
“Apart from the five anti-aircraft guns and the rifles captured from the terrorists, over 34 motorcycles and 5 vehicles including trucks being used for operations by the terrorists were destroyed in the course of the fighting as troops headed for Baga. The troops finally began clearing the terrorists on arrival in the town early Saturday morning.
“A comprehensive cordon and search phase of military operation has now commenced to enable troops to mop up arms and ammunition and also apprehend any terrorist who might be hiding in the vicinity. The exercise will also determine details of the casualties inflicted or incurred in the course of the operations to clear Baga and [its] environs of terrorists.
“Similar exercises [are] being carried out in over 12 locations, namely Gajigana, Ngaze, Ngenzai, Marte Junction, Mile 90, Yoyo, Kekeno, Kukawa, Cross Kauwa, Kangarwa, Amirari and other localities where troops have flushed out the terrorists in the operations preceding the entry to Baga. The troops are now dominating and conducting aggressive patrols in the locations. The morale of troops remains high.”
