The war against Boko Haram Insurgents received a major boost as the armies of Niger and Chad have commenced “ground and air” offensive against the insurgents in Northeast, AFP, reports.
“An offensive is underway against Boko Haram,” a source told AFP news agency. “Very early [on Sunday] morning, the troops from Niger and Chad began an offensive against Boko Haram… in the area of Bosso and near Diram.”
Confirming the report, a resident of Diffa said he saw troops headed towards the frontier early Sunday followed by the sounds of heavy arms fire.
“After some time, the detonations grew further away, an apparent sign that the troops were moving inside Nigeria,” he said.
A private radio station, Anfani, based in Diffa, reported that more than 200 vehicles, including those equipped with machine guns as well as tanks, ambulances, water tankers and transport trucks, were seen in a convoy moving towards the Nigerian border, adding that aircrafts had targeted Boko Haram positions on Saturday and early Sunday.
The latest offensive is coming on the heels of endorsement by the African Union on Friday for the creation of a regional force of up to 10,000 men to join the fight against the group.
The regional force, which has the mandate to prevent the spread of Boko Haram activities and other terrorist groups and eradicate their presence, will be based in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital.
Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Benin have agreed to provide troops, who would “operate freely”.
댓글