At least 176 individuals who were reportedly Boko Haram fighters and claim to have repented have surrendered their weapons to the troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad basin region.
SaharaReporters reports that the terrorists abandoned their dens, following intensive military onslaught on their hideouts in and around the basin.
This was disclosed on Tuesday during a press briefing at the MNJTF headquarters in Ndjamena, Republic of Chad by its commander, Major General Ibrahim Sallau Ali.
Gen. Ali noted that troops of the MNJTF had also captured 57 terrorists in separate raids around the Lake Chad basin, comprising Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
"Military hardware, including sophisticated weapons and logistics were recovered from the terrorists during the operation.
"Air component of the operation from the Chadian, Nigerian and Cameroonian Airforce fighters neutralised several terrorists in their hideouts," Gen Ali said.
"The success was recorded due largely to the supports of Defence chiefs from the Lake Chad countries," the spokesperson for MNJTF, Col Abubakar Abdullahi, added.
Gen Ali thanked the armed forces of the affected countries for their cooperation and intelligence sharing.