As part of the ongoing Operation Deep Punch II by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, soldiers recently dislodged Boko Haram terrorists from one of their highly fortified hideouts around S-Shape part of Sambisa during a fierce offensive that was supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Monday, February 12, 2018.

On Friday, February 16, the official Twitter account of the Presidential Villa @ revealed that the army has constructed a borehole in Sabil Huda for the use of troops and adjoining communities.

It posted, "As part of its ongoing Operation DEEP PUNCH II, HQNigerianArmy is consolidating its hold on Sambisa Forest, by building roads and other facilities. It has just constructed a borehole in Sabil Huda in the Forest, for the use of troops and adjoining communities."

Army rescues 46 hostages

During the clear out on Monday, troops rescued 19 women and 27 children who were being held hostage by terrorists.

Soldiers captured major armaments including two Spartan Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), one Canter truck and one laptop computer belonging to the insurgents.

They also destroyed 8 gun trucks, several makeshift accommodation and tents.

Boko Haram menace

Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under Shekau's leadership, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours.

After a massive military operation resulted in the displacement of the group from its Camp Zairo base in the infamous Sambisa Forest, it has resorted to suicide bomb attacks on soft targets and carried out daring attacks on military bases, with hundreds of captives still unaccounted for.