Joint task force kills ’10 Boko Haram commanders’ in Lake Chad region

The multinational joint task force (MNJTF) says its troops have killed 10 Boko Haram commanders in the Lake Chad region.

The MNJTF operates in the Lake Chad basin of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria.

Over a hundred of the insurgents were said to have been killed in a coordinated land and air offensives carried out by the troops.

Muhammad Dole, MNJTF spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, said the offensives were conducted under ‘Operation Lake Sanity’, a joint operation involving the MNJTF troops from Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon and troops from operation Hadin Kai.

Dole said, in the past week, the troops raided the insurgents’ dens in Zanari, Arina Woje, which served as major fabrication workshops, and several other locations.

“Some of the commanders include Abubakar Dan Buduma, Abubakar Shuwa, Abu Ali and Abu Jubrilla among others,” he said.

“In the course of the operation, significant number of innocent citizens, mostly women and children held captive by the criminals, were rescued.

“Large quantities of food stuff (grains), fuel dumps, illicit drugs, terrorists’ uniforms and other house holds materials were recovered and destroyed immediately.”

He said equipment, like grinding machines, vehicle fabrication tools and military uniforms, were destroyed and set ablaze in the insurgents’ camps.

Dole said the MNJTF troops on clearance patrols in Kimeguna, near Lake Chad, in Niger Republic accosted insurgents’ logisticians ferrying 457 bags of fish in several carts.

He said the bags of fish were immediately destroyed in line with the MNJTF standing operating procedure, adding that the suspects were currently being profiled.

He said 18 soldiers, including an officer, had been wounded and taken to the hospital for treatment.

Dole added that one member of the civilian joint task force, however, “paid the supreme sacrifice”.