Army kills 11 B’Haram members, arrest 31

The Special Forces have arrested 31 fighters of the Boko Haram Sect who were attempting to flee the country through Taraba State and Gumti in Adamawa State into Cameroon.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Thursday that one of those arrested was a mercenary claiming to be a citizen of Chad and Burkinafaso.

Olukolade also said that 11 insurgents were also killed during shootouts with troops in the  border communities.

He said that the terrorists who were involved in the encounter with the Special Forces were trapped and were forced out of their hideout by hunger.

According for the Defence spokesman, the Special Forces arrested some of the insurgents who left one of the camps in the forest took the security men to similar camps in the area.

He said that the Special Forces killed seven of the insurgents during a fierce gun battle in one of the camps.

He added that four other insurgents were killed in another battle with troops at Gombi.

Olukolade said that several categories of high calibre weapons, several Improvised Explosive Devices and over 70 motorcycles were recovered from the insurgents in the operations.

He said, “A group of terrorists attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti in Adamawa State have come under heavy fire from troops on patrol of the area in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

“The terrorists who had been trapped as a result of the ongoing offensive  by the troops along the borders were given out when some of them could no longer bear the hunger in their make-shift camps in the forest.

“Those who were apprehended led troops to their hideouts where fierce fighting ensued.

“Seven terrorists died, while a large number of Improvised Explosive Devices and rifles were recovered including over 70 motorcycles.

“Similar encounter in Gombi also led to the death of four other terrorists.”

PUNCH