Troops flush out Boko Haram from Borno stronghold

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, has said troops of the Nigerian Army concluded a comprehensive raid on Alagarno Forest, Borno State, on Tuesday morning.  Olukolade said in a statement on Tuesday that the troops cleared the Alagarno community, described as a major haven of Boko Haram insurgents, of terrorists presence.

The Defence spokesman added that the soldiers captured several weapons and equipment from the insurgents during the operation.

According to him, the items recovered from the terrorists included Armoured Personnel Carriers, various sizes and calibres of arms and ammunition, power generating sets, and Improvised Explosive Devices. He stated that the troops also captured rolls of copper cable used for the production of IEDs, megaphones, bow and arrows from the insurgents.

He said the military had commenced a cordon and search and mopping up operations to make the community safe for the people of the area to return.The spokesman explained that Alagarno was also reputed to have provided the routes being used by terrorists to neighbouring towns and countries aside being a major stronghold of terrorists.  Olukolade added that the thick forest in the area and the difficult terrain, which made it difficult to carry out aerial operations, made Alagarno a safe haven for the terrorists.