Troops ‘airlift’ 20 women, children from Sambisa

The defence headquarters says scores of Boko Haram insurgents died while 20 women and children were rescued and “airlifted” from Sambisa forest during a military operation on Friday.

Chris Olukolade, director of defence information, said the military also suffered a casualty and more than 10 soldiers sustained injuries during the operation.

Olukolade noted that landmines planted in the stronghold of the sect posed a challenge to the security personnel.

“Despite continuous encounter with large number of land mines, which still litter the Sambisa forest, troops have forged ahead with the ongoing offensive operations, as scores of the terrorists died in the assault on their bases on Friday,” Olukolade said in a statement issued on Saturday.

“A total of 20 women and children were rescued at the end of the Friday operation. They have all been airlifted out of the forest. The wounded soldiers have also been moved out for necessary treatment.

“Two major ammunition dumps maintained by the terrorists in the forest were also destroyed, along with the four additional terrorists camps that were smashed in the operation of Friday.”

He added that one armoured tank and more than 10 vehicles that the insurgents were using for operations, as well as 70 motorcycles and 15 tricycles, were also perished during the operation.

Olukolade said air and artillery bombardment of identified militants camps and locations in various parts of the forest, including the Alafa aspect, were still ongoing.

He also said that a cordon-and-search operation around Bitta in Borno state had been intensified following an incident where two boys were wounded after picking up a grenade from a refuse dump.

He said the weapon was believed to have been abandoned by insurgents that fled the town that is not too far from Sambisa, adding that aggressive patrols and surveillance by land and air were also being maintained in the general.