Troops Sustain Offensive in Sambisa Despite Boko Haram Snipers, Landmines

•Capture 3 terrorist kingpins, others, rescue more hostages

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

Despite some hiccups, Nigerian troops have continued their offensive to knock out the Boko Haram terrorists from their last major enclave deep inside the infamous Sambisa forest, Borno State.

Military sources have disclosed to THISDAY that apart from the long-time challenges of landmines, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), a new major challenge in the latest Operation Crackdown is the terrorists’ snipers.

“We found out that apart from the fact that most of the areas laid with booby traps, IEDs, the BH have trained snipers that hide in the trees to target our soldiers and officers. Recently, we lost a gunner and an officer from such attacks,” a source said.

The source revealed that that was what the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) hinted when he talked about noticeable challenges and reappraisal of the operations.

However, the source said, despite that minor setback the troops have advanced deep, hitting the terrorists hard and would soon meet the operational objective of routing them.

The CDS, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, while fielding questions from journalists at the Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC), Maiduguri, Borno State, last week had said that the “armed forces had in a final onslaught against the Boko Haram, deployed ground and aerial forces deep inside Sambisa forest aimed at clearing the remaining terrorists enclaves and rescuing the hostages including the Chibok girls”.

FURTHER DETAILS LATER