At least 35 people have been killed in two separate gun battles
between Nigerian security forces and Islamist sect Boko Haram in Borno
State, the army said on Monday. Boko Haram, which wants to impose sharia law in Nigeria’s north, and
other spin-off Islamist groups, had become the biggest threat to the
country’s stability, Reuters reports.
In mid-May, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency
and launched an offensive against the group in its stronghold in the
northeast. The insurgency was initially weakened but remains active and
is stretching the army.
Boko Haram gunmen on Sunday attacked a police base in Bama, a town
close to the Cameroon border that has been frequently hit by violence in
recent months.
“Troops have successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorist attacks on a
police base in Bama … on August 4,” said military spokesman Sagir Musa.
Musa, a Nigerian Army Lieutenant Colonel, said one policeman and 17
members of Boko Haram were killed during the fighting, while two
soldiers were injured.
He said four trucks, three motorbikes, dozens of explosive devices,
three rocket-propelled grenades, 10 AK47 rifles and over 100 rounds of
ammunition were recovered from the Islamists.
Boko Haram members also attacked a military base used by the
Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the town of Malam Fatori,
triggering a gun battle that left two soldiers and 15 of its members
dead, Musa said.
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