Boko Haram fighters have gathered in their numbers at Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of the sect in northeast, as a military offensive tries to flush them out from the forest, a local vigilante told AFP news agency.
The vigilante, who requested anonymity for security reasons as he was part of the operation, said that the Boko Haram are in large numbers in Sambisa.
“All their fighters who were pushed out of Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza and Damboa (in Borno State) all moved to Boko Haram camps in Sambisa.
“They (Boko Haram) have buried landmines all over the routes leading to their camps in the forest, which is no doubt a huge obstacle retarding the military offensive against them,” he said.
Troops were forced to turn back just five kilometres (three miles) from Boko Haram’s main camp because of landmines.
“One soldier and three vigilantes were killed when their vehicle hit a mine,” he said.
But the vigilante said progress over the last three days had been severely hindered.
“There are no soldiers in Sambisa right now. We all returned to Bama after the horrifying experience of manoeuvring through minefields,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Boko Haram sect has re-branded its name.
The group now wants to be called “Islamic State of West Africa Province.”
The news according BBC, Boko Haram has released new images of its fighters and is now calling itself Islamic State’s West Africa Province. Earlier in March, Boko Haram had publicly pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Syrian terror group. (Leadership)
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