Fleeing Boko Haram Fighters Drown In Lake Chad

Hundreds of Boko Haram fighters, fleeing the heavy air bombardments
from Nigerian Air Force fighter jets, have drowned in Lake Chad. This
reportedly happened during the air strikes heralding the advance of
Nigerian troops on mission to flush them out of Baga, Borno State.

Not even the strategy of mining over 1,500 spots with land mines on
the routes leading to the town could save the fighters from the
aggressive move of advancing troops.

Vanguard reports that during the coordinated air and land operation,
sinister attempts by the fighters to catch the troops unawares with
the planting of land mines proved useless as all the mines were
cleared one after the other.

Nigerian Army recently procured and deployed several counter mines
sweeping armoured personnel carriers (APC) and other sophisticated
equipment with capability to detect mines planted at 1,000 meters
radius.

The resistance of the Boko Haram insurgents was said to collapsed and
the land forces stormed the town in the early hours of Friday.

Baga, which hitherto served as the headquarters of the Joint
Multi-National Task Force, JMNTF, eventually fell to Nigerian military
by 2pm yesterday.

Many of the fighters died while an unknown but substantial number fled
with various degrees of injury, in the encounter along the routes of
advance as troops headed for Baga.

A statement from the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), signed by Major
General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, said, "Apart
from the five anti aircraft guns and the rifles captured from the
terrorists, over 34 motorcycles and five vehicles including trucks,
being used for operations by the terrorists, were destroyed in the
course of the fighting as troops headed for Baga.

"The troops finally began clearing the terrorists from Baga on arrival
in the town Saturday morning.

"A comprehensive cordon and search phase of military operation has now
commenced to enable troops mop up arms and ammunition and also
apprehend any terrorist who might be hiding in the vicinity.

"The exercise will also determine details of the casualties inflicted
or incurred in the course of the operations to clear Baga and environ
of terrorists.

"Similar exercise is being carried out in over 12 locations namely
Gajigana, Ngaze, Ngenzai, Marte Junction, Mile 90, Yoyo, Kekeno,
Kukawa, Cross Kauwa, Kangarwa, Amirari and other localities where
troops have flushed out the terrorists in the operations preceding the
entry to Baga.

"The troops are now dominating and conducting aggressive patrols in
the locations. The morale of troops remains high."

It will be recalled that hundreds of Boko Haram fighters, looking to
rearm the group attacked Baga early in the year killing people
estimated at over 3, 000 by international organizations while the DHQ
put the number of dead at about 150 persons.
--Vanguard