No fewer than 20 members of the terrorists group, Boko Haram, have been killed by the Nigerian Army in a clearance operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
Also in the operation 17 insurgents were captured while 100 people were rescued.
Vehicles and ammunition were also recovered.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Col. Timothy Antigha, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Wednesday.
He added however that six soldiers were injured and had been referred to military medical facility for treatment.
Antigha said the operations were carried out in the past two weeks in Islands in Lake Chad region to crush Boko Haram insurgents in the area.
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His words: “In continuation of Operation Deep Punch 2, designed to smoke out Boko Haram terrorists inhabiting remote Islands in Lake Chad basin lying within Nigerian territory, troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army, on Operation Lafiya Dole, supported by soldiers of the Armed Forces Strike Group have inflicted heavy casualties on Boko Haram terrorists.
“The operation which commenced about two weeks ago preceded by coordinated air and artillery bombardments of islands and localities occupied by terrorists.
“The insurgents sneaked into Magumeri, Kauram and other locations to loot property, attack security personnel and villagers.
“Islands and villages cleared so far include: Arena Chiki, Chikun Gudu, Arena Waje, Sa’ada and Juwe.”
The spokesman said further that the rescued civilians included 100 elderly men, women and children.
According to him, preliminary investigation showed that most of the rescued persons were held hostage and forced to work in the farms.
Antigha said the vehicles and ammunition recovered included one Mercedes Benz Truck; two gun trucks, two pick up vans, one anti–aircraft machine gun, five AK-47 riffles, three Fabrique Nationals (FN) Riffles, two G3 Riffles and one Pump Action Riffle.
Others are: one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tube, two bombs, two Very High Frequency (VHF) Radios and one Night Vision Goggle.
Other things recovered are 55 rounds of 5.56 X 45 mm ammunition, 5 Bangalore Torpedo, two 120mm Mortar Bombs, and 1000 rounds of 7.62 mm Ball Metal Link ammunition.
55 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 108 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, two memory cards, two hydraulic jacks and a 1.5 amp battery were also recovered.
