Five of the 19 soldiers who went missing after an ambush by Boko
Haram insurgents in Borno State have been found, the Nigerian army has
said.
The military launched a search for the troops after they went missing
Thursday during a military operation in the town of Alagarno in Borno
state, the epicentre of Boko Haram’s seven-year Islamist insurgency.
Army spokesman Sani Usman said in a statement late Saturday that five
of the soldiers had been found, including the unit’s commanding
officer.
“Although they are in a stable condition, have been moved to our medical
facilities for medical care,” he said, adding that the other 14 are
still unaccounted for.
Boko Haram’s bid to form a hardline Islamic state has left at least
20,000 people dead in Nigeria and displaced more than 2.6 million
people, with the violence spilling over into neighbouring Niger,
Cameroon and Chad.
A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year
has pushed the militants into remote border areas around Lake Chad.
Guardian
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