Nigerian troops were forced to retreat from Boko
Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold in the restive
northeast after a landmine blast killed one soldier and
three vigilantes, security sources said Thursday.
Military top brass said on Wednesday that soldiers
were conducting offensives “in some forest locations”
in the area after it was announced last week that
operations were imminent.
The Sambisa Forest is located in the state of Borno,
some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the town of
Chibok, from where more than 200 schoolgirls were
kidnapped in April last year.
It has been claimed the 219 schoolgirls still being held
were initially kept in the former game reserve, although
others have said they may have been split up and
moved to Chad or Cameroon.
Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a
statement that a senior Boko Haram commander was
killed, as well as a number of militants who attacked a
patrol.
“The operations especially in forest locations are
progressing in defiance of obstacles and landmines
emplaced by the terrorists,” he added.
But progress has been severely hindered because of
improvised explosive devices, a civilian vigilante
involved in the operation told AFP in an account
backed by a security source.
“Boko Haram have buried landmines all over the routes
leading to their camps in the forest, which is no doubt
a huge obstacle retarding the military offensive against
them,” he told AFP.
Troops withdrew just five kilometres from Boko
Haram’s main camp in the densely forested area
because of landmines.
“We decided to turn back since the route was unsafe.
As we were driving back, one of the vehicles carrying
CJTF (Civilian Joint Task Force) hit a mine,” he added.
“A soldier and three CJTF were killed while another
soldier was injured. We trudged along and made it back
to Bama yesterday (Wednesday).”
The vigilante added: “There are no soldiers in Sambisa
right now. We all returned to Bama after the horrifying
experience of manoeuvring through minefields.”
– Persistent threat –
There was no immediate response from the military,
which with its military coalition partners Chad, Niger
and Cameroon has driven out Boko Haram from
captured towns in recent weeks.
“Boko Haram are in large numbers in Sambisa,” said
the vigilante, who requested anonymity for security
reasons.
“All their fighters who were pushed out of Bama,
Dikwa, Gwoza and Damboa (in Borno state) all moved
to Boko Haram camps in Sambisa,” he added.
Details of the offensive came as a series of
photographs circulated on social media accounts linked
to the Islamic State group of heavily armed fighters,
purportedly from Boko Haram.
No independent verification was possible but some of
the accounts said the images were released under the
name “The Islamic State in West Africa”.
Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance
to IS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in March. The
Middle Eastern militants responded by urging Muslims
to support the rebels in Nigeria.
Experts have seen the formal tie-up as a sign of
weakness by the Nigerian Islamists but warned not to
write off the group, which continues to mount smaller-
scale attacks in the region.
According to residents of Kalabalge, who fled to the
Cameroon town of Fotokol, Boko Haram fighters have
taken over the Borno state town, which is near
Nigeria’s border with Chad.
Thousands of Shuwa Arabs — who are from the same
ethnic group as many Chadian soldiers — have been
pushed out of villages in the area since the Nigerian
army seized the group’s headquarters in Gwoza last
month.
Resident Grema Gana said there were “light-skinned
fighters of north African extraction” in the militant
ranks, adding that Chadian forces operating in the area
had detained some of them.
Another resident, who asked not to be named for his
own safety, said Chadian troops conducted an
operation in the Kalabalge area on Monday as Boko
Haram had returned after being driven out.
He also said “some foreign fighters from north Africa”
were detained.
Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold in the restive
northeast after a landmine blast killed one soldier and
three vigilantes, security sources said Thursday.
Military top brass said on Wednesday that soldiers
were conducting offensives “in some forest locations”
in the area after it was announced last week that
operations were imminent.
The Sambisa Forest is located in the state of Borno,
some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the town of
Chibok, from where more than 200 schoolgirls were
kidnapped in April last year.
It has been claimed the 219 schoolgirls still being held
were initially kept in the former game reserve, although
others have said they may have been split up and
moved to Chad or Cameroon.
Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a
statement that a senior Boko Haram commander was
killed, as well as a number of militants who attacked a
patrol.
“The operations especially in forest locations are
progressing in defiance of obstacles and landmines
emplaced by the terrorists,” he added.
But progress has been severely hindered because of
improvised explosive devices, a civilian vigilante
involved in the operation told AFP in an account
backed by a security source.
“Boko Haram have buried landmines all over the routes
leading to their camps in the forest, which is no doubt
a huge obstacle retarding the military offensive against
them,” he told AFP.
Troops withdrew just five kilometres from Boko
Haram’s main camp in the densely forested area
because of landmines.
“We decided to turn back since the route was unsafe.
As we were driving back, one of the vehicles carrying
CJTF (Civilian Joint Task Force) hit a mine,” he added.
“A soldier and three CJTF were killed while another
soldier was injured. We trudged along and made it back
to Bama yesterday (Wednesday).”
The vigilante added: “There are no soldiers in Sambisa
right now. We all returned to Bama after the horrifying
experience of manoeuvring through minefields.”
– Persistent threat –
There was no immediate response from the military,
which with its military coalition partners Chad, Niger
and Cameroon has driven out Boko Haram from
captured towns in recent weeks.
“Boko Haram are in large numbers in Sambisa,” said
the vigilante, who requested anonymity for security
reasons.
“All their fighters who were pushed out of Bama,
Dikwa, Gwoza and Damboa (in Borno state) all moved
to Boko Haram camps in Sambisa,” he added.
Details of the offensive came as a series of
photographs circulated on social media accounts linked
to the Islamic State group of heavily armed fighters,
purportedly from Boko Haram.
No independent verification was possible but some of
the accounts said the images were released under the
name “The Islamic State in West Africa”.
Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance
to IS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in March. The
Middle Eastern militants responded by urging Muslims
to support the rebels in Nigeria.
Experts have seen the formal tie-up as a sign of
weakness by the Nigerian Islamists but warned not to
write off the group, which continues to mount smaller-
scale attacks in the region.
According to residents of Kalabalge, who fled to the
Cameroon town of Fotokol, Boko Haram fighters have
taken over the Borno state town, which is near
Nigeria’s border with Chad.
Thousands of Shuwa Arabs — who are from the same
ethnic group as many Chadian soldiers — have been
pushed out of villages in the area since the Nigerian
army seized the group’s headquarters in Gwoza last
month.
Resident Grema Gana said there were “light-skinned
fighters of north African extraction” in the militant
ranks, adding that Chadian forces operating in the area
had detained some of them.
Another resident, who asked not to be named for his
own safety, said Chadian troops conducted an
operation in the Kalabalge area on Monday as Boko
Haram had returned after being driven out.
He also said “some foreign fighters from north Africa”
were detained.
posted from Bloggeroid
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