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B’Haram Factional Leader Wounded

(FILES) -- A file photo taken on June 5, 2013 shows Nigerian soldiers patrolling in the north of Borno state close to a Islamist extremist group Boko Haram former camp near Maiduguri. Nigeria's military on June 8, 2015 said it had begun shifting the command centre for its battle against Boko Haram from the capital to Maiduguri in the northeast, following a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari announced the move in his inaugural speech on May 29, saying the Islamist insurgents would not be defeated until military command and control was transferred to the city at the heart of the uprising. "A reconnaissance and advance team for the establishment of Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) for OPERATION ZAMAN LAFIYA for the fight against terrorism and insurgency has moved to Maiduguri," an army statement said. AFP PHOTO / Quentin LeboucherQuentin Leboucher/AFP/Getty Images

The Nigerian Army on Friday said one of the Boko Haram factional leaders, Mamman Nur, was wounded in an ongoing clearance operation by troops in Lake Chad region.

Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

Nwachukwu said that Nur sustained “fatal injuries” following artillery and aerial bombardments of Boko Haram insurgents enclaves in Lake Chad basin.

He said evaluation report indicated that Nur was wounded while trying to flee the area, adding that a great number of his commanders were also injured or killed during the operation.

The army spokesman disclosed that several insurgents who fled the onslaught had surrendered to security forces in Niger Republic.

“The ongoing artillery and aerial bombardments of Boko Haram enclaves in the Lake Chad region by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole has continued to yield positive results.

“Currently an evaluation report of the ongoing operation indicates that a major factional leader of the terrorists group, Mamman Nur has been fatally injured in the bombardment, as he and his sub commanders fled from the onslaught.

“Also, several of his foot soldiers have been killed by troops, while many of the insurgents who escaped are now surrendering to Niger Defence Forces, following the Amnesty granted the insurgents by the Government of Niger Republic,” Nwachukwu said.

The report of the shooting of Mamman Nur came as another factional leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, claimed responsibility for last month’s attack against a Nigerian army barrack at Kannama, near the Niger border.

They also stole some military equipment.

The jihadist faction said in an online statement published by the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) that it had orchestrated the raid on army barracks in the town of Kanamma in northeast Yobe state, according to the SITE Intelligence group, which monitors jihadist activity.

Boko Haram has long been divided, but in 2016 it suffered a major split when the Islamic State group recognised Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, the son of dead Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf, as leader.

NAN