Nigerian Navy Marines have killed 28 Boko Haram fighters during a joint military operation around Lake Chad, following a fresh assessment of the battlefield that revealed the offensive was more successful than initially reported.
Navy spokesperson, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this is in a statement to newsmen on Saturday
Captain Folorunsho said the operation, carried out on October 28, involved Navy Marines and troops of the Nigerian Army’s 403 Amphibious Brigade under Operation HADIN KAI, the military campaign against insurgency in the North-East.
According to him, Initial reports put the number of terrorists killed at eight. However, a subsequent Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) raised the figure to 28, indicating that more insurgents were eliminated during the operation than first established.
The Nigerian Navy spokesman said the latest operation had increased the number of terrorists neutralised by its Marines to 34.
He said the offensive forms part of ongoing military efforts to weaken Boko Haram’s fighting capacity, disrupt its activities and prevent the group from establishing new positions around the Lake Chad area.
He added that the joint operation also highlights the importance of cooperation between the Navy and Army in tackling insurgency in the difficult waterways and surrounding communities of the Lake Chad region.
The Nigerian Navy said its personnel, working alongside the 403 Amphibious Brigade, would continue intelligence-led operations to sustain pressure on terrorist groups and deny them opportunities to regroup.
