More than 30 Boko Haram insurgents were killed when they ambushed an Army contingent in Kareto, Borno State, the Army said yesterday.
The attack by about 100 Boko Haram members on Monday occurred during patrols by the 113 Battalion.
The ground operation by the Army and a multinational force, with air cover by the Air Force, is to raid the North on a village-by-village basis, capture Boko Haram terrorists and free the captives.
Cameroonian Gen. Bouba Dobekreo said this month that the ground forces were put in place to eradicate Boko Haram threat in Nigeria.
In clashes last Friday, 34 suspected Boko Haram members were killed and 455 captives freed in Borno State.
In Monday’s battle, 24 soldiers were injured, said Col. Sani Usman of the Nigerian Army.
Military sources said: “Scores of Boko Haram insurgents escaped with gunshot wounds.”
Yesterday, the Army reported a separate incident – a Boko Haram attack on the convoy of Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, the Acting GOC (General Officer Commanding) in the Borno city of Bama. One soldier was killed and two injured.
Insurgents were killed, arms and ammunition were recovered. Gen. Ezugwu was not injured.
More than 20,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram terrorists and 2.3 million displaced since the group began violent campaign in 2009.
