Boko Haram Suffered Heavy Casualties, Says Military

 The Defence Headquarters on Wednesday
said the Boko Haram insurgents had
suffered heavy casualties in two-day
military operations to clear them from 11
communities in the North-East.
This is contained in a statement issued in
Abuja by Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade,
Director of Defence Information.
“Mop-up operation of some of the
communities where terrorists have been
cleared in the course of ongoing air and
land operations against terrorists has
indicated massive casualties inflicted on
them.
“Within the last two days of the counter
terrorism operations over 300 terrorists
were killed, while a few were captured.
“Several weapons and equipment were also
captured and some were destroyed.
“It has been confirmed that five different
types of armoured fighting vehicles, an
anti-aircraft gun, about 50 cases of packed
bombs were destroyed,’’ he said
According to Olukolade, eight different
types of Machine Guns, five Rocket
Propelled Grenades, 49 box of various
types, calibres of ammunition and 300
motorcycles were also destroyed in the
fighting.
He also said that a total of six Hilux
vehicles including those mounted with
anti-aircraft guns were destroyed.
The spokesman, however, said that two
soldiers lost their lives while 10 others
were wounded in the operations.
He said the cordon-and-search operation
was continuing along with aggressive
patrols by troops who were dominating the
cleared communities.
Olukolade listed the communities being
patrolled as Monguno, Gabchari, Abba
Jabari, Zuntur, Gajigana, Gajiram,
Damakar, Kumaliwa, Bosso Wanti, Jeram
and Kabrisungul.
“The various phases of the highly-
coordinated air and land operations are
also ongoing in the designated theaters
being handled by contingents involved in
the renewed counter terrorism campaign
in and outside Nigeria,” he said.