Boko Haram's headquarters DESTROYED: Nigerian military mounts massive operation reclaiming terrorist group's 'capital city'
- Nigerian military says it has destroyed the jihadi's headquarters in Gwoza
- North-east Nigerian city is a Boko Haram stronghold and de facto capital
- It is also where the terrorists were thought to have been hiding nearly 300 schoolgirls who were abducted in nearby Chibok almost a year ago
- Critics have been quick to question the announcement's timing, however
- It comes just one day before Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan - who has been criticised for not defeating Boko Haram - stands for reelection
The
Nigerian military says it has destroyed the headquarters of Boko Haram
in the barbaric terrorist organisation's de facto capital city Gwoza.
The
official Twitter account for the Nigerian Defense Headquarters
announced 'FLASH: Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the
Headquarters of the Terrorists self-styled Caliphate.'
It followed with 'Several terrorists died while many are captured. Mopping up of entire #Gwoza and her suburbs is ongoing.'
Boko
Haram chief Abubakar Shekau declared the northeast Nigerian city to be
the capital of a new Islamic caliphate after he seized the town in
August. Earlier this month Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State, formally recognising Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as their spiritual
leader.
Liberators: The Nigerian military says
its soldiers (pictured) have destroyed the headquarters of Boko Haram
in the barbaric terrorist organisation's de facto capital city Gwoza
Breakthrough: The failure of President
Goodluck Jonathan (left) to defeat Boko Haram has dogged Nigeria's
leader as he stands for re-election tomorrow. It was not immediately
possible to verify this morning's morale-boosting announcement from
Gwoza - but critics have questioned its timing
Goodluck Jonathan's opponents have
said the offensive against Boko Haram is a political ploy ahead of
tomorrow's election (a billboard for which is pictured). They have asked
why Nigeria's military, of which Jonathan is the commander in chief, is
suddenly is capable of doing what it has failed to do for six years
It
was not possible to verify this morning's morale-boosting announcement,
which comes just one day before critical presidential elections in
Nigeria.
The
Twitter messages made no mention of military operations in Sambisa
Forest, where Nigeria's home-grown Islamic extremist group is believed
to have several camps.
Warplanes
have been bombarding the area for weeks. The forest starts about 20
miles from Gwoza town, which is 80 miles southeast of Maiduguri - the
Borno state capital state and Boko Haram's birthplace.
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Sambisa
Forest is where extremists first took nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped
from a boarding school in Chibok almost a year ago. Dozens escaped on
their own but 219 remain missing.
The
failure of the government and military of President Goodluck Jonathan
to rescue the girls created international outrage and continues to dog
Nigeria's leader as he stands for re-election.
Nigeria's
military, with support of troops and military aircraft from neighboring
countries, in the past two months has retaken dozens of towns from Boko
Haram. This comes after months of defeat at the hands of Boko Haram,
with soldiers fleeing the battlefield after they ran out of ammunition.
Jonathan's
opponents have said the offensive is a political ploy, asking why
Nigeria's military, of which Jonathan is the commander in chief, is
suddenly is capable of doing what it has failed to do for nearly six
years.
Brutal: Boko Haram chief Abubakar
Shekau (pictured) declared the northeast Nigerian city to be the capital
of a new Islamic caliphate after he seized the town in August
Earlier this month Boko Haram
militants (pictured during a recent filmed beheading) pledged allegiance
to the Islamic State, formally recognising Iraqi Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
as their spiritual leader
On the run: Civilians who fled the
fighting in Bama and the surrounding areas in recent days gather a
makeshift camp for displaced people on the outskirts of Maiduguri
Reports
from the newly-liberated town of Bama say the city has been devastated
by the militants' occupation and the efforts to re-take the city - with
the army claiming the stench of death hangs heavy in the air.
The
devastation is visible from the air in Bama. Corrugated iron roofs lie
ripped off among charred debris, the walls of the houses blackened with
soot or in ruins.
On
the dusty roads that separate properties in the second-biggest town in
Borno state, northeast Nigeria, the sight -- and smell -- is much worse,
with evidence of atrocities everywhere.
The
Nigerian military forced out Boko Haram from Bama earlier this month.
As they did so, locals who managed to escape said the Islamists set fire
to homes, including the emir's palace.
But clearly much worse happened -- and the evidence is on the streets, beneath them and in the parched fields beyond.
Troops
found the decomposing body of a man in a sewer, in the fetal position
surrounded by trash and human waste. Soldiers cover their noses as more
remains are found elsewhere.
Nigerian troops celebrate after taking control of Bama from Boko Haram militants earlier this week
Nigerian troops are seen taking up positions in the northeast Nigerian town of Bama earlier this week
Reports from the newly-liberated town
of Bama say the city has been devastated by the militants' occupation
and the efforts to re-take the city - with the army claiming the stench
of death hangs heavy in the air
Earlier
this week it emerged that Boko Haram had abducted hundreds of women and
children from primary schools to use them as 'human shields'.
The
Islamic militants took adults and children from primary schools in the
north-eastern town of Damasak as troops from Niger and Chad approached a
month ago, Mike Omeri, the Nigerian spokesman for the fight against
Boko Haram, confirmed this week.
When
the soldiers arrived, they found the town largely deserted - with local
reports suggesting as many as 500 people were taken in the raids.
Mr
Omeri refused to be drawn on exactly how many people had been taken by
Boko Haram militants, but he was clear on the reason why they had been
kidnapped.
'Boko
Haram ... rushed to primary schools they took children and adults that
they are using as shields to protect themselves from the menacing
advance of troops,' he said.
'They are being used as shields by Boko Haram.'
Damasak,
which is near the border with Niger and had been held by Boko Haram for
months, was recaptured on March 16 - but officials have only confirmed
the kidnappings now.
Evidence
of a mass grave was also discovered by the troops from Chad and Niger,
who now hold the town, Chad's ambassador to the U.N. Mahamat Zene Cherif
confirmed Wednesday.
Kidnapped: As many as 500 women and
children were taken from Damasak, in north-eastern Nigeria, as Chadian
troops (pictured) advanced on the town, which had been held by Boko
Haram for months
Defence: Officials believe they were
taken so they could be used as human shields when troops arrived.
Pictured: Chadian army celebrates entering Damasak - showing off one of
Boko Haram's flags
Last
week, the troops found the bodies of at least 70 people in an apparent
execution site under a bridge leading out of Damasak, which had been
used as an administrative centre for the extremists who hope to create
their own 'caliphate' in the region.
The six-year battle against the insurgents is one of the major issues voters will be considering on Saturday.
Thousands
have already lost their lives - including an estimated 10,000 last year
alone - while more than 174,000 people are thought to have fled to
neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger as refugees.
Analysts
attribute the success to newly acquired war materiel including tanks,
armored cars and helicopter gunships, training by foreign instructors
and a joint offensive with battle-hardened soldiers from neighboring
Chad, as well as troops from Niger and Cameroon.
A
regional offensive against Boko Haram was mounted at the end of January
amid growing international concern as Boko Haram seized territory the
size of Belgium.
The
terror group also pledged to become the West Africa franchise of the
Islamic State group operating in Syria and Iraq, and as the Nigerian
insurgents spread their attacks across borders.
At
least 10,000 people were killed in the Islamic uprising last year and
more than 1.5 million people have been driven from the homes.
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