Troops kill 2 Boko Haram terrorists, recover weapons in Borno

THE Nigerian Army said it had killed two suspected Boko Haram terrorists in an ambush in Alagarno forest axis in Borno State.

Army’s Director of Public Relations, Brigadier-General Sani Usman, disclosed this in a statement, on Sunday.

Usman said the operation was carried out by troops of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ deployed in Forward Operation Base, Mainok, on August 5.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that he said the insurgents were ferrying logistics to their colleagues when the troops ambushed them, adding that two weapons, motorcycles, jerry cans and ground guineacorn were recovered from them during the operation.

The army spokesman also disclosed that troops of 151 Battalion, 21 Brigade Nigerian Army, on routine clearing of bushes to aid unhindered movement of troops, discovered multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

He said the devices were connected together and laid on the shoulder of the road “at a suspected terrorist ambush site on Banki Junction-Bama.”

Usman said the troops had successfully disconnected and recovered the devices.

In another development, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Sunday, began a two-day assessment visit to the troubled North-East region.

Dan-Ali is billed to visit troops in the frontline of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’, with a view to encouraging and boosting their morale.

Media Aide to the minister, Colonel Tukur Gusau, told newsmen in Maiduguri that it was part of operational engagement to enable the minister meet and interact with the troops.

Gusau said the visit was also designed to appraise the performance of troops with a view to improving their effectiveness and capacity in the counter-insurgency campaign.

He disclosed that the minister would visit the Theatre Command headquarters and other military formations in the region.

Gusau noted that the visit was necessitated sequel to upsurge of suicide bombing and challenges posed by Boko Haram insurgents in the region.