News / Nigeria

Nigerian army liberates NE town from Boko Haram

Friday, 27 March 2015 1:27 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 27 March 2015 2:12 PM ]

This file photo shows Nigerian soldiers patrolling after retaking the town of Madagali in eastern Nigeria Adamawa State from Boko Haram. © AFP

The Nigerian army says its troops have retaken the northeastern town of Gwoza in the restive Borno state from Boko Haram Takfiri militants.

“Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the headquarters of the terrorists' self-styled caliphate,” Nigerian Defense Headquarters in Abuja said in a message posted on Twitter on Friday.

It said in a separate message that several members of the extremist group have died while many were captured, adding that the troops are still mopping up “entire Gwoza and her suburbs.”

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in August 2014 called Gwoza the capital of the group’s so-called caliphate after capturing it.

Earlier in March, residents who managed to flee said Boko Haram militants had gone on a killing spree in the town.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military in its Twitter posts did not announce anything about the Sambisa Forest, where Boko Haram is believed to have several camps. The forest that starts about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Gwoza town, which is 130 kilometers (80 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, has been bombarded by warplanes for weeks.

Supported by troops and military aircraft from neighboring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, Nigeria’s army over the past several weeks has recaptured dozens of towns from Boko Haram’s grip.

The regional operation against Boko Haram was launched at the end of January amid growing concerns as the terror group declared allegiance to the ISIL Takfiri group which is perpetrating heinous crimes against humanity in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria.

A picture taken on February 13, 2015 shows the village of Nougboua after it was attacked by Nigeria's Boko Haram militants. © AFP

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” controls parts of northeastern Nigeria.

It has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its activities in 2009, which have left over 13,000 people dead and 1.5 million displaced.

MR/KA/SS

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