Nigerian army retakes Baga town from Boko Haram

The Nigerian army has retaken the north-eastern town of Baga, held by Boko Haram militants since 3 January.

In a tweet from its official account, the army said that “mopping up” operations were continuing.

It also claimed in a separate statement that it had killed many Boko Haram militants, though this has not been independently verified.

Nigeria says 150 people died when Boko Haram took Baga and nearby Doron Baga, but locals said up to 2,000 died.

Residents were left largely undefended as the military deserted when the jihadists attacked the towns.

This time, the army claims it was the militants who fled, with some drowning in Lake Chad as they tried to escape the aerial bombardment.

It added that 1,000 mines had been laid in Baga, which soldiers had to negotiate before entering.

The BBC’s Will Ross in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, say other sources have confirmed that Boko Haram no longer control Baga.

The massacre there is regarded as the worst attack of Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency. Thousands fled across Lake Chad when the assault began with 7,000 taking refuge in the Chadian town of Ngouboua.

Boko Haram, which controls of much of Nigeria’s north-east, has killed thousands of people in its drive to establish an Islamic state.

In recent months it has also carried out cross-border raids in neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger, attacking villages and military bases.

All three countries have joined Nigeria to form a military coalition against the Islamist militants.

Also on Saturday, Niger’s army reported the deaths of 15 Boko Haram militants following clashes in an island on the Niger side of Lake Chad.

Seven Niger soldiers and one civilian also died in the attack.

BBC 

UM– USEKE.RW