The Nigerian army on Thursday said it killed 404 Boko Haram insurgents and arrested 810 others in various operations in the past five months.
Maj.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, the Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Maiduguri.
Ibrahim said the insurgents were killed during operations designed to clear remnant of the fleeing Boko Haram members.
He said that the troops encountered the insurgents at various fronts including Marte, Mafa, Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza.
“Some 860 settlements were cleared and 19,640 civilians were rescued from the insurgents.
“Also, 810 insurgents, including a high-profile member of the insurgency, were arrested within the period under review.
“The rescued civilians were screened and placed at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps,’’ Ibrahim said.
According to him, during this operations, troops recovered various ammunitions and destroyed camps.
The commander said that 97 attacks using Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were recorded, adding that some of the attacks were neutralised by the troops.
According to him, about seven soldiers died while nine others were wounded during the operation.
He explained that the command, in joint operations with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), had cleared 11 settlements on Lake Chad basin in Kangarwa and Marte as well as in parts of Cameroun and Chad.
He listed Domo, Kelewa, Damara, Abaga, Karo, Kunaguma and Jugulu Kara as some of the liberated communities.
Ibrahim also explained that the insurgents had resorted to IEDS attacks on civilians in view of the success recorded by the military in its campaign against them.
The commander reiterated the commitments of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency while protecting lives and property in the country.
He advised the people to be vigilant and support the military to enable it to discharge its duties effectively.
