Nigerian Soldiers Celebrate After Recapturing Towns
TVC NEWS [MAIDUGURI] - Nigeria's military said on Tuesday (March 10) it had only one town left to recapture from Boko Haram militants in the northeastern state of Yobe, a former stronghold of the group.
Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin have mobilized forces this year to help Nigeria defeat the group after it seized large amounts of territory and staged cross border attacks.
Morale was high among troops, who sang and set fire to the Boko Haram flag during a tour through one of the recaptured towns, Buni Yadi.
The Nigerian Task Force commanding officer disclosed to newsmen there was high confidence that the soldiers would now retake the remaining town.
"Like I told you earlier, Yobe state is made up of seventeen local governments and sometime in the middle of last year, two local governments were completely lost to the insurgents. And as I speak to you now, we have just one major town to take to complete the retaking of these two local governments, that is Gonori. And as I speak to you, one of the battalion is already en-route to Gonori. We have swept every other place. We are moving to Gonori now and I am sure they will take it very soon," said Commander Yusuf.
Local vigilantes helping the troops believe the campaign is working.
"The soldiers are working round the clock to ensure the return of peace in our communities. We also assist them and this has been very successful," said the vigilante's leader, Tella Sarki.
Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced over 1.5 million people over a six-year period in a quest to carve out an Islamic state in the
northeast of Nigeria.
The group gained international notoriety in April 2014 after it kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls who are yet to be found.
They usually camp below shrubs, making it difficult for air surveillance to discover them.
Boko Haram seized a territory the size of Belgium last year, which Nigeria's ill-equipped army has struggled to take it back.
- See more at: http://www.tvcnews.tv/?q=article/nigerian-soldiers-celebrate-after-recapturing-towns#sthash.e857aUiM.dpuf
Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin have mobilized forces this year to help Nigeria defeat the group after it seized large amounts of territory and staged cross border attacks.
Morale was high among troops, who sang and set fire to the Boko Haram flag during a tour through one of the recaptured towns, Buni Yadi.
The Nigerian Task Force commanding officer disclosed to newsmen there was high confidence that the soldiers would now retake the remaining town.
"Like I told you earlier, Yobe state is made up of seventeen local governments and sometime in the middle of last year, two local governments were completely lost to the insurgents. And as I speak to you now, we have just one major town to take to complete the retaking of these two local governments, that is Gonori. And as I speak to you, one of the battalion is already en-route to Gonori. We have swept every other place. We are moving to Gonori now and I am sure they will take it very soon," said Commander Yusuf.
Local vigilantes helping the troops believe the campaign is working.
"The soldiers are working round the clock to ensure the return of peace in our communities. We also assist them and this has been very successful," said the vigilante's leader, Tella Sarki.
Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced over 1.5 million people over a six-year period in a quest to carve out an Islamic state in the
northeast of Nigeria.
The group gained international notoriety in April 2014 after it kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls who are yet to be found.
They usually camp below shrubs, making it difficult for air surveillance to discover them.
Boko Haram seized a territory the size of Belgium last year, which Nigeria's ill-equipped army has struggled to take it back.
- See more at: http://www.tvcnews.tv/?q=article/nigerian-soldiers-celebrate-after-recapturing-towns#sthash.e857aUiM.dpuf
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