A total of 18 people, including 17 Boko Haram members and a military officer, were killed in a fierce gun duel in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State, the military Joint Task Force (JTF) said.Spokesperson of the JTF in Borno State Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa said military forces stormed the training camp of the Boko Haram terrorists located at the Sambisa Game Reserve in Bama local government area of the state, using a Nigerian Airforce helicopter to dislodge the sect members in an operation carried out on Wednesday and Thursday.“The (Boko Haram) camp was properly sighted and fortified and had training facilities including armory, accommodation, drugs store and medical cabin, kitchen, vehicle holding area, latrine and water points (river). The camp was used to conduct training and carry out recent attacks, killings and bombings in Maiduguri, Musari, Konduga, Biu, Bama, and Demboa communities,” the military officer said, adding efforts by the JTF troops to destroy the camp led to a tough exchange of fire with the sect members. Musa noted, among several other ammunition recovered during the operation, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bomb, a RPG tube, 20 RPG chargers, six AK 47 rifles, two G3 rifles, three pistols and two double barrel rifles were seized from the terrorists’ camp.Agencies
