Nigerian troops kill ‘over 50’ terrorists

More than 50 terrorists on a mission to attack some villages in Borno and Adamawa States were killed at the weekend, the Army has said.

According to major-General Chris Olukolade, the director of defence information, 30 rifles, 36 hand grenades, 7 machine guns and 11 rocket-propelled grenade tubes were recovered from the terrorists.

These were in addition to over 3,500 rounds of ammunition, 6 smoke grenade canisters, locally-fabricated guns, and 4 vehicles used by the terrorists in the foiled attack.

“Troops conducting anti-terrorists campaign in north-eastern Nigeria have successfully averted attempted massive raid on villages in Borno and Adamawa States during the weekend,” Olukolade said.

“The terrorists who were on their way to attack selected communities were ambushed by troops along Bilta, Borno State, on receiving intelligence report of the terrorists’ intention.”

He said the attack was launched on the terrorists while they filed out of the forest to embark on their mission at about 10pm on Saturday, resulting in the death of “over 50” of them.

“The four soldiers who were wounded in the operation”, he said, are currently receiving medical treatment in the military medical facility.

The development comes one day after Cameroon announced that it had killed a total of 102 Boko Haram fighters in just one week, following last month’s deployment of 1,000 troops along its border with Nigeria.

On Saturday May 31, 2014, the west central African country announced the killing of 40 terrorists, followed by the killing of 60 on four days later, in the villages of Dabanga in far northern Cameroon, when they crossed over from Borno State, Nigeria.

Two other terrorists were reported to have been killed on Saturday.