Two soldiers killed in raids on Boko Haram hideouts in Lake Chad

Two soldiers were killed during a raid on Boko Haram hideouts in Lake Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria borders.

In a statement on Wednesday, Abubakar Abdullahi, chief of military information officer, said one of the soldiers killed was from Nigeria and the other from Lake Chad.

Abdullahi said three other soldiers sustained injuries during the operation.

He said the operation was conducted by four sectors of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) from February 10 to 20.

He said the troops deployed at the Litri, Chad, and Doron Baga recorded success during the raid as two terrorists were killed, while two others surrendered.

“Troops of sector 1 MNJTF in Mora, Cameroon, triumphed in a notable engagement at the locality of Soueram,” the statement reads.

“This offensive resulted in the neutralization of 2 Boko Haram terrorists and the seizure of 92 linked ammunition belts, enhancing the safety of the area and disrupting the terror group’s supply lines.

“Complementing this success, on the 10th and 19th of February 2024, 2 Boko Haram members each surrendered to troops in Sectors 2 and 3, stationed in Litri, Chad, and Doron Baga, Nigeria respectively.

“The items recovered from these 4 repentant insurgents included a collection of arms and ammunition, significantly consisting of an AKM Rifle, an AK-47 Rifle, 3 magazines, and 29 rounds of 7.62-millimetre Special Ammunition.

“The MNJTF’s persistence in offensive campaigns brought additional victories, with notable operations conducted by the troops of Sector 2 Bagasola, Chad.

“During a high-impact offensive at the locality of Tchokou, a Lake Chad Island, the troops inflicted casualties on Boko Haram elements and recovered 3 “teke-teke” canoes among other terrorists’ logistics items.

“In separate operations on 19 February 2024, troops recovered 5x 155 millimetre high explosive Shells used for making improvised explosive devices, debilitating the operational capabilities of the terrorist factions in the region.”

He added that the troops on February 20 raided a hideout in the southern rim of Lake Chad close to the Chad-Cameroon and Nigeria border and killed “several terrorists and destroyed their waterways equipment”.

The information officer said, “several terrorists were seen jumping into the Lake from their boats and are believed to have died”.

He said troops of Sector 4 Diff, Niger Republic stopped an attempt to smuggle arms to the north of Nguigmi near the Niger-Chad borderline on February 10.

He said the troops recovered an arms cache comprising 6 x AK-47 rifles, 11 magazines, and 50 x rounds of 7.62-millimeter ammunition.

“Sadly, despite these achievements, 2 soldiers, one each from Nigeria and Chad paid the supreme price while 3 others sustained various degrees of injuries,” he added.

He commended the troops for their gallantry and prayed for the soul of those who lost their lives to rest in peace.