According to a statement from Defence Headquarters, “the Dure camp, which is one of the most prominent camps in the forest, witnessed the fiercest battle as the Special Forces, backed by air power, descended heavily on it before it finally fell.
“Four of the camps were located in a place called Iza within the forest, while three others were noted to be recently established by the terrorists before the assault began.
“One soldier died from one of the land mines encountered in the operation, while two others were also wounded.
“The terrorists lost a number of vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns and armoured vehicles. Some of the terrorists, who escaped from the camps, also died as they ran into troops ambush in some escape routes.
“Meanwhile, some of the fleeing terrorists have also engaged in suicide missions at Bitta, where they encountered Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the border in Niger Republic.
“The operation to clear the terrorists in Sambisa and other forests is continuing as troops in all fronts have been alerted to be on the lookout for fleeing terrorists.
“The Nigerian Air Force is maintaining an active air surveillance to track the movement of terrorists for appropriate action as the operation continues.”
