Nigeria Army Troops Clear Gwoza Road, Remove Several Landmines

By Blogger

Soldiers on a mission to clear and retake all roads once under the control of Boko Haram have on Tuesday successfully unearthed several land mines planted on a  road leading to Gwoza, the former headquarters of the terrorists so-called Islamic Caliphate, army officials said. 

In what can now be described as daily gains over Boko Haram territories, the troops under the 7 Division, Nigeria Army were able to detect and unearth heavy improvised bombs long buried on the cratered route that leads from Yamteke village to Gwoza town. 

It could be recalled that having destroyed several major bridges linking most parts of Borno state, Boko Haram terrorists had also planted heavy and crudely manufactured land mines on the routes to prevent access to their captured territories. 

Those landmines had in the past killed and injured several troops advancing towards the captured territories. 

But with the coming of the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai, who took the lead in the new order to clear all mined roads of the northeast Nigeria, when he personally supervised the opening of the Damaturu-Biu road last month, troops of the Nigeria Army have continued to record successes in that regard. 

According to a statement issued to the press by the spokesman of the 7-Division Nigeria Army, Colonel Tukur Gusau, the troops comprised of Nigeria Army Engineers have succeeded unearthing and defusing five bombs along the Gwoza-Yamteke road on Tuesday. 

In a similar simultaneous operation along the Dikwa axis of Borno state, the the troops have recovered several other weapons and bomb manufacturing tools.

"In the Nigerian Army's determined efforts to clear all roads in the North East of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by Boko Haram Terrorists, troops of 7 Division Nigerian Army during clearance and linking up operations  have successfully recovered 5 IEDs planted on the road linking Gwoza-Yamteke road", Colonel Gusau said. 

"The explosives have since been defused and destroyed by the team of Nigerian Army Engineers. 

The Uncovered Land Mines Capable of Causing
Massive Destruction, Now Carefully Defused
By Troops of the 7 Division 

"Similarly, the troops conducting clearance operations in Dikwa area following routing out of terrorists in the area couple of days ago,  discovered a hideout in which weapons and equipment suspected to be used by the Boko Haram terrorists for construction of IEDs were hidden. These includes 5 Drilling Machines, 1 Filing Machine, 2 Cutting Machine, 1 Disc Filing Machine, 52 Compact Discs, 9 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) 7 Charges, 1 105mm Pack Howitzer, 1 BMG Tripod stand and 1 Cutting and Drilling Machine. 

"It is instructive that the troops are more than ever ready to ensure that the Boko Haram Terrorists are flushed out and peace is restored by all means", said 

Colonel Gusau, a Deputy Director Army Public Relations for 7 Division, Nigerian Army. 

According to the United Nations Officer for Disarmaments "Landmines come in two varieties: anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines. Both have caused great suffering in the past decades". 

"Anti-personnel landmines are prohibited under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (or Mine Ban Convention), adopted in 1997. More than 150 countries have joined this treaty. Its positive impact includes a marked reduction of casualties, an increased number of mine-free States, destroyed stockpiles and improved assistance to victims".