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.
