60 killed as troops capture Boko Haram leader in Konduga battle

60 killed as troops capture Boko Haram leader in Konduga battle

After another battle in Konduga on Wednesday night till the wee hours of yesterday, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops captured a Boko Haram leader.
It also confirmed that 60 insurgents were killed during encounters with troops.
The said leader, whose name DHQ did not disclose, is injured. He is being treated at a military facility, which was suspected to be in Borno State.
There were indications last night that the captive might be flown out of Borno State “any moment from now” for what a source described as “enhanced treatment and interrogation”.
The breakthrough by troops was disclosed by the DHQ in a tweet on the ongoing operations in Konduga, about 35 kilometres to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
In the last one week, Boko Haram insurgents have attempted to seize Konduga thrice but they were repelled by troops.
The insurgents’ plan is to use Konduga as a base to attack on Maiduguri.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the DHQ had admitted that the insurgents shelled Konduga, in desperate bid to take over the town.
In the fresh battle, the DHQ said, troops engaged “another large number of heavily armed terrorists trying to enter the town”.
The DHQ tweet said: “A seriously wounded high ranking terrorist leader is being treated in a military medical facility after he was captured in the operation.
“He was among those captured yesterday. 60 of his fighters died during the series of attacks they launched to gain access to Konduga and environs.
“Weapons captured include 24 rifles, five rocket propelled grenade tubes, two machine guns and one anti-aircraft, as well as a Ford Ranger vehicle. Another Ford Ranger vehicle was destroyed.
“Also at Benishek where troops fought through an ambush yesterday, four motorcycles of the terrorists were captured.”
Another military source said: “The supply of more sophisticated equipment and military hardwares to troops has buoyed their confidence. Troops do not only ambush the insurgents, they now confront them headlong.
“Hours from Wednesday till early Thursday were particularly bad for Boko Haram terrorists operating in the Northeast as they lost scores of their members during repeated attempts to enter Konduga, about 70 kilometres to Maiduguri.
“The terrorists’ leader whose name is still being kept a secret was captured after the second but fiercer battle waged by the insurgents to capture the town following their earlier routing by the military.”
The Defence Headquarters last night said one soldier was killed and four others wounded in a separate encounter with Boko Haram insurgents in Benishek in Borno State.
Benishek is a notorious operation axis of the dreaded sect, which has killed more than 100 people in the area.
It was gathered that troops invaded Benishek to rout out the insurgents from the area.
The DHQ, which gave an update on the operation, said: “One Soldier however died while four who were wounded are receiving treatment.
Fifty seven men and three officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces who were injured at the war front in the on-going military campaign against insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country have again received succour as Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA) yesterday donated some items, including unspecified amount of money to them on their sick bed.
The President of DEPOWA and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs. Mary Badeh who led officials and members of association to the hospital donated hampers, containing beverages and toiletries to the wounded soldiers to help alleviate their sufferings.
The donation came barely a week after the 60 military men were decorated with medals of honour by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Muhammad Aliyu Gusau (rtd), at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
The Medical Director, 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, Maj.Gen. Abimbola Amusu said the affected men and officers were responding to treatment and some of them will soon be discharged