No fewer than 70 suspected Boko Haram terrorists have drowned in a river while trying to escape the air bombardment by Operations Hadin Kai of the Nigerian Military in Borno State. Sources confirmed that the Boko Haram insurgents had earlier suffered 20 casualties on Thursday, September 1, 2022, after they were struck by the combined firepower of the Nigerian Military and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in Sheruri village of Bama Local Government Area of Borno. Meanwhile, those who managed to escape the Sheruri attack met their waterloo as they plunged into a river around Dipchari village of Bama LGA on Friday, reported Daily Trust. Sources accounts: The paper quoted a source that said, “The insurgents suffered heavy blows; they have lost more than 70 fighters around Dipchari village. Many are unaccounted for as we speak.” An anonymous source who also confirmed the incident added that the insurgents were seen trying to recover the dead bodies of their fighter in the river. “This morning around 8:30 am, they conducted a funeral for more than 50 of their fighters at Dipchari village and they continue with the search for the remaining terrorists. “They recovered many dead bodies from the river but dozens of the fighters are still missing,” the source said. Military on the front foot: Though many locals in the area have confirmed the development, there was no official statement from the military high command as of the time of filing this report. Nevertheless, the Nigerian Military has recorded successes on the frontline in recent times, especially against the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in the NorthEast. Many security analysts have attributed the recent successes to the deployment of the Super Tucano fighter jets, which has been a game-changer in the military’s counterinsurgency efforts. |