Troops on Operation Lafiya Dole have killed two suspected members of the Boko Haram terrorist group after a tough gunfight in Borno State.
The Nigerian Army confirmed this in a statement on Friday by the Deputy Director of Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu.
They recorded the feat on Thursday after they overran terrorist hideouts in Bukar Maryam and Abaganaram villages of the state in north-east Nigeria.
The soldiers, who were on a joint counter-insurgency operation with Cameroonian Defence Forces and the Civilian Joint Task Force in the northern hinterlands of Borno, also arrested other insurgents.
“The gallant troops overpowered the insurgents, killing two of them and capturing 11 men after a fierce firefight, during an operation to clear the surrounding villages of fleeing Boko Haram terrorists,” the statement read.
Some of the items recovered from the insurgents include two Multi-Purpose Rocket Grenade Launcher (Police Tear Gas Gun), one Rocket Propelled Gun Charger, two AK-47 rifle magazines with 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, and one magazine vest.
Other items captured from the suspects are three motorcycles, one generator, a tool box, a pair of camouflage, one military-type belt, and one Boko Haram flag. In another operation, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team of Operation Lafiya Dole uncovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Doro Naira village to wreak havoc on the community.
The vigilant troops also made the discovery on Thursday during a counter IED operation while sweeping the general area of IEDs.
The Army, however, noted that the IEDs were detonated safely by the EOD team.