By Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The Nigerian Army on Thursday announced that it had in the last one week rescued 150 people held hostage by Boko Haram, just as troops killed 49 members of the sect in operations along Bama-Fulka and Alagarno axis in Borno State.

The army made the announcement in a press statement issued by the commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, the counter-insurgency operation in the North east, Yusha’u Abubakar, a Major General, in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Abubakar said several arms, ammunition and improvised explosive devices, IEDs, were also recovered during the operations.

“It is important to announce that our gallant troops conducted various operations along Bama-Fulka and Alagarno areas of Borno state, which yielded fruitful achievements in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram elements,” he explained.

“During the episode, the troops had an encounter with some militants, who suffered serious casualties.

“In Alagarno axis, 15 insurgents were gunned down, while 34 others killed along Bama-Fulka road. The troops have also rescued 150 people, mostly old men and women, as well as children. The captives, who were abducted from their homes by the terrorists, were being held as human shields.”

According to the army chief, the successes owed much to the high spirit and morale displayed by brave troops, something he said deflated the terrorists’ confidence.

Sadly, though, Abubakar explained that one officer and a soldier were lost in an ambush on a convoy of military vehicles by fleeing terrorists along Maiduguri-Bama road on Tuesday.