Event Summary
- Nigeria’s military on Sunday 2nd August 2015 attacked a Boko Haram military camp near Aulari, south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, once a jihadist stronghold.
- The military also set free 178 hostages of the terrorist group.
- In the event, the military also besieged Boko Haram positions in the Islamist militant group’s northeastern heartland.
- The ongoing operation has led to the capture of a Boko Haram commander, according to the army
- A large number of the extremists were also killed in air strikes.
Analysis
Nigeria’s military in co-ordination with the neighboring Chadian, Niger and Cameroonian forces have launched an operation to cut Boko Haram extremists off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of the terrorists.
The recent military success in rescuing 178 people earlier captured by the terrorist group comes in handy to thwart any of the terrorist group’s attempts to attack villages in Borno. The terrorists are characteristic of using their hostages on suicide missions and as human shields.
Before the siege, attackers had targeted villages near Maiduguri forcing villagers to flee to nearby forests. Malari has been the target of numerous attacks in recent months, including a suicide bombing by a teenaged girl in a mosque in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in July which left 12 people dead.
Forecast
Taking siege of a major Boko Haram base in south of Maiduguri deals a heavy blow to the terrorist group as it will cut them off major supplies in the immediate and near future.
The group however continues to wage guerrilla attacks on villagers. In a recent video released by the group on 3rd August, the militants are calling on sympathizers to wage attacks especially on Nigeria and the AU troops.
