Hundreds of Chadian ground troops entered northeastern Nigeria Tuesday as part of a growing regional offensive against Boko Haram insurgents.
Witnesses said Chadian soldiers and vehicles crossed a bridge from Cameroon into the Nigerian town of Gambaru. Another Chadian force of at least 300 soldiers positioned itself near Bosso, a town on the border between Nigeria and Niger.
Nigerian government spokesman Mike Omeri told VOA’s Hausa news service that Chad is operating under a bilateral protocol that allows them “to pursue terrorists into this territory.”
Chad is one of four countries that have pledged to help fight Boko Haram, along with Cameroon, Niger and Benin. The Islamist insurgents control parts of Nigeria’s Borno state and seized a multinational base on the shores of Lake Chad last month.
The Nigerian government said late Monday its forces have retaken a number of towns from Boko Haram, including Gambaru, Mafa, Mallam Fatori, Abadam and Marte.
But the French news agency AFP quoted a Chadian army officer as saying Boko Haram fighters remain in Gambaru and “they have posted snipers everywhere.”
Northeastern Nigeria has seen several days of heavy fighting, with both the Chadian and Nigerian air forces targeting the militants.
Source- VOA
