Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have captured Mallam Fatori in northern Borno State after a fierce battle closely covered by air operations.
According to a statement signed by Col. Sani Usman, the acting Director, Army Public Relations and issued on Wednesday, the town was captured under โOperation Gama Aikiโ of the Operation Lafiya Dole.
Col. Usman said the troops killed many Boko Haram terrorists as the sect fighters withdrew โto a vantage positionโ.
He added: โHowever, the terrorists reinforced around the border with Niger Republic.
โThis was while the troops were consolidating on this success.
โThe Operation is continuing,โ
There was no immediate comment from Boko Haram, which does not speak to the media and only releases video statements.
But Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram pledged loyalty last year, said militants attacked an army convoy in the area on Monday and killed 40 troops. This is contained in a statement on its affiliated news agency Amaq, picked up by SITE which monitors jihadist announcements.
There was no independent verification of either the army or the Islamic State account.
The militants have nevertheless continued to carry out suicide bombings in northeast Nigeria and neighboring countries, in their struggle to set up an Islamist state.
The Boko Haram insurgency has killed thousands and displaced more than two million people in Nigeria.
A United Nations (UN) official said at the weekend that more than 6 million people are โseverely food insecureโ and 568,000 children acutely malnourished in the nations around Lake Chad
