Nigerian military claims heavy blow at Boko Haram after college attack

The Nigerian military on Thursday claimed a heavy blow at the militant sect of Boko Haram in operations after a deadly college attack by the insurgents. Several Boko Haram militants were killed in air and ground raids by the military on the sect's new camps in the northeastern state of Yobe and 15 suspects were arrested. The military on Wednesday launched the bombardment of Boko Haram's enclave around Benisheik-Damboa in the areas of Borno and Goniri under Gujba Local Government, following the killing of over 40 college students and an upsurge of attacks on highways. The fresh offensive against the armed sect was substantially successful, the military said. Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army in Damaturu, Capt. Eli Lazarus, said, "After the attack on the college of Agriculture in Gujba, our men carried out an operation around the Gujba axis and a camp of the insurgent was raided and several members of the insurgents were killed while 15 others were arrested," Eli Lazarus said. The arrestees were already undergoing interrogation, the spokesman said, adding that they were assisting the command with useful information to help track down feeling insurgents. He said the military was planning new measures to curtail the insurgency, vowing to strengthen collaboration with the civil populace to ensure timely and useful information to restore peace in northern states being affected by Boko Haram. Attacks have been on rise in recent months in Borno, a state bordering Cameroon, Niger and Chad, where the threat from Al- Qaida's North African branch AQIM is looming. The Boko Haram sect seeks to enshrine the Islamic sharia law into the constitution and declares war against the Western education.