Nigeria: Boko Haram Cleared From Adamawa State
FILE - Nigeria says it has driven Boko Haram insurgents out of Adamawa state. Here, a suspected insurgent waits at a Chadian soldiers' field base in Gambaru, Nigeria, February 26, 2015.
The Nigerian military says troops have freed the last area held by Boko Haram militants in northeastern Adamawa state.
The military says on its Twitter feed that troops on Thursday cleared insurgents out of Madagali, an area near the Nigerian-Cameroon border. There was no independent verification of the report.
In an interview Wednesday with VOA, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan predicted Boko Haram would lose its last territories in Adamawa and Yobe states by the middle of next week.
A multinational offensive has pushed the Islamic extremist group out of the numerous towns it had occupied in northeastern Nigeria.
Forces from Chad, Niger and Cameroon have taken prominent roles in the fighting. This week, Jonathan and other government sources acknowledged that non-African military personnel also are involved.
Jonathan described the personnel as trainers, but Nigerian troops told VOA that many have taken part in the fighting.
The foreigners reportedly have come from South Africa, Britain and Ukraine.
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