The banned group has previously launched deadly attacks on and around the Christian festival. A wave of attacks against churches and police on Dec.25, 2011, left 49 people dead.
Troops have been deployed to frontier villages and towns in Borno state that have been targeted while suspected Boko Haram bases were being cleared, backed by air support, said area army spokesman Colonel Mohammed Dole.
"We have identified their hideouts and we are determined to make all the border communities and the state generally free of Boko Haram activities so that people can move freely and celebrate the Yuletide peacefully," he added.
Borno and two other states in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north have been under emergency rule since May this year as part of government efforts to put down a bloody four-year insurgency that has claimed the lives of thousands.
Army spokesman Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru said talks were on-going for an improved regional strategy.
"That is being taken care of at the strategic diplomatic level. There is that level of co-operation," he added.
"You might not be able to see it at the lower level but rest assured that the governments are talking on how best they co-operate because the Boko Haram phenomenon has gone beyond the northeast of Nigeria.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Etisalat. Enjoy high speed mobile broadband on any of our Easyblaze plans. Visit www.etisalat.com.ng for details.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment