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Al-Shabab siege of Kenya university leaves 147 dead

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Day-long siege of campus in northeastern town comes to bloody end, with mostly students killed.

kenya-attack-Al-Shabab

by Al Jazeera

At least 147 people have been killed after Kenyan troops cleared a university dormitory in the town of Garissa in northeast Kenya that had been seized by al-Shabab gunmen, the interior ministry says.

Members of the Somalia-based group attacked the campus after dawn on Thursday and were holed up in a dormitory with hostages until the evening.

Officials said 79 students had been injured in the attack, and 587 had been evacuated.

Security forces had encircled the building exchanging sporadic bursts of gunfire with the fighters inside, who were believed to have been holding scores of students hostage.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera they heard heavy gunfire and saw smoke coming from the campus on Thursday evening as the standoff came to an end.

Joseph Nkaissery, the interior minister, said four attackers had strapped themselves with explosives.

A female student who escaped the hostage drama told Al Jazeera that she had stepped over more bodies than she could count as she got out of the university.

Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, reporting from Garissa, said security officials were now working on identifying bodies and moving them to the morgue.

The attack was the worst in Kenya since the 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi by al-Qaeda, when 213 people were killed by a huge truck bomb.

In 2013, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack on the Westgate mall that left 67 people dead.

Thursday’s assault began when the first grenades were used before dawn to blast open the gates of the university, near the border with war-torn Somalia.

The masked gunmen then stormed the university as students were sleeping in their dormitories, shooting dead dozens before taking hostages. Al-Shabab said it had set Muslims free and captured Christians.

The al-Qaeda-linked group said the assault was launched in revenge for Kenya sending troops to fight al-Shabab in Somalia.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said the lack of security infrastructure had contributed to the crisis.

“We have suffered unnecessarily due to a shortage of security personnel. Kenya needs additional officers, and I will not keep the nation waiting,” he said.

After the attack, the country’s interior ministry announced a 12-hour curfew starting at 6.30pm in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Tana River counties.

Rescued hostages were treated at a nearby hospital [Alinoor Moulid Bosh/Al Jazeera]

Security forces surrounded the campus after gunmen opened fire indiscriminately in campus hostels [AP]

Al Qaeda frees 300 inmates in Yemen jailbreak

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Khalid Batarfi, a senior Al Qaeda figure who had been held for more than four years, was among more than 300 prisoners who escaped from the jai. — Reuters/file

Khalid Batarfi, a senior Al Qaeda figure who had been held for more than four years, was among more than 300 prisoners who escaped from the jai. — Reuters/file

Aden: In a surprise attack, Al Qaeda militants stormed a prison in southeastern Yemen on Thursday, freeing several hundred inmates including one of their leaders, a security official said.

Two prison guards and five inmates were killed in clashes, the official said.

Qaeda militants stormed the center of the city of al-Mukalla, the capital of the southeastern province of Hadramawt, which was still controlled by pro-Hadi forces.

The militants also clashed with troops guarding the local adminstration complex in the city, a branch of the central bank and the police headquarters.

Khalid Batarfi, a senior Al Qaeda figure who had been held for more than four years, was among more than 300 prisoners who escaped from the jail in Hadramawt province, the official told AFP.

Batarfi is among Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) top regional commanders, known for his leading role in a 2011-2012 battle with Yemeni government troops during which extremists seized swathes of territory in the south and east.

The remote area is also the ancestral home of former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, whose father was born in a valley before moving to neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has descended further into chaos since a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes a week ago against positions held by Shia rebels and their allies across the deeply tribal country.

Observers have warned that Yemen-based AQAP, classified by the United States as the network’s deadliest franchise, could exploit the unrest to strengthen its presence in the country.

(Agencies)

Buhari wins – but the new president of Nigeria faces an enormous challenge

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by Catherine Gegout, The Conversation

Second time round for Buhari. EPA/STR

Second time round for Buhari. EPA/STR

Nigerians have chosen General Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, over incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, to be their president. Following an election that saw 41 people killed in the north of the country, Goodluck conceded defeat, and congratulated Buhari on his victory.

Buhari’s military regime from 1983 to 1985 was draconian: he systematically repressed freedom of expression through the jailing of journalists, radical public intellectuals, and student protesters. He is now saying that “the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible”.

Nigerians decide. EPA/Tife Owolabi

Nigerians and the international community will be watching whether this time around Buhari will work for the common good in Nigeria.

Corruption and crisis

The general political and economic situation in Nigeria is problematic. Nigeria is home to a corrupt government. According to Transparency International, Nigeria is ranked 136 out of 175 states in terms of perceptions of corruption. Women are underrepresented in political affairs: until now, the House of Representatives had only one female principal officer, and only 7% of the 362 members were women. The House of Representatives committee on women has called for more participation from women in the nation’s politics. We will now see if the new government responds to this demand.

The economy is in crisis: Nigeria has an unhealthy dependence on its oil exports, which represent more than 80% of its national income. There has now been a drop in oil prices, which means that public sector jobs will have to be cut; 24% of Nigerians are unemployed. Nigeria must double its investment in infrastructure, and improve its power sector, the water and sanitation sector, its road networks, and its air transport safety.

Nigeria has to be serious about health. The World Health Organisation recommends that governments spend 15% of their budget on health, but Nigeria spends only 6% of its budget. Nigeria had 40,000 pregnancy-related deaths a year account for approximately 14 percent of the world’s total in 2012.

Northern exposure

The situation in northern Nigeria is critical. Since 2014, more than 6,000 civilians have been killed by Boko Haram. Around one million Nigerians have been forcibly displaced within the country, and 200,000 have fled to Cameroon, Niger or Chad. Colonel Joseph Nouma of the Maroua Defence Regiment in the Nigerian army told the IRIN news service:

When you go to border villages, all you see are women and children and old people. Young [men], between the ages of ten and 45 are no longer there. They are across the [Nigerian] border with Boko Haram militants.

In the north, regional actors have been more active than the Nigerian government in fighting Boko Haram. With the approval of the African Union, Nigeria and its neighbours – Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin – have deployed a 8,700-strong Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to fight around 4,000-6,000Boko Haram Islamist militants.

Presidents from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECOWAS) pledged in early 2015 to create a US$87m emergency fund for military, medical, and logistical support for the MNJTF. Nigeria’s current president expects Boko Haram to be defeated within a month. However, even with the presence of regional allies, Boko Haram is likely to go into hiding and conduct a guerrilla campaign.

Past policy vacuum

The way the government has addressed violence in the north has been abysmal: very few measures have been taken. Muslim clerics identified lack of good governance as the primary reason Boko Haram succeeded in recruiting members. According to a US official, “they warned that similar crises would occur if the government failed to address social problems”.

In terms of social measures, when Boko Haram started fighting in 2009, a “societal reorientation programme” was created in the north. However, according to one US official, this programme only made it possible for Boko Haram to “recruit more members”, as it had no impact on the population’s well-being.

Military action against Boko Haram has been deplorable, probably because Boko Haram had clear connections to the government. The Nigerian army committed serious human rights violations in its response to Boko Haram. Hundreds of civilians and suspected Boko Haram members have been killed, and detainees have died in military custody.

In 2015, President Jonathan’s national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, only mentioned the creation of a single social policy – in Kuje prison in the capital Abuja which aims at deradicalising former insurgents. The new government will have to develop social policies to reduce inequalities in order to prevent further violence.

What the new government has to do

The economic involvement of the Nigerian government is inadequate. Only half of the investment projects in the north were completed in 2014.

In 2015, the government created a US$133m emergency fund for the north in order to finance 94 different projects such as road construction, railways, energy and agriculture, but the precise use of this fund remains to be seen.

The new president will have to address three long-standing and critical issues in the north: economic development, education and health. Economic development is needed to counter Boko Haram, which is paying men around US$700-a-month to join its ranks.

The economy

The new government must tackle the difficult issue of unemployment which, among all age groups, is at least 75%. Many young people, especially recent graduates, say it is impossible to find decent work. For the few who do have a job, the minimum wage is US$70 a month. The new government will also have to address the lack of economic resources and food in the north.

GDP Index (per capita). UNDP (2009) Human Development Report Nigeria 2008-2009

The map above of GDP per capita, and below for malnutrition, show the important north-south economic divide.

Severe acute malnutrition: 2015 burden and prevalence in the Sahel. OCHA 2015 Humanitarian Needs Report

Education

The new Nigerian government will have to prioritise education. When Boko Haram started attacking civilians in 2009, it was known to oppose “western education models”. However, young men fighting for Boko Haram could not have had much knowledge of education. In 2011 in northern Nigeria, half of the men had no education at all, only 7% completed primary education, and only 6% completed secondary education. Education in the north should therefore be a priority for whoever has power next. This is important not only for men, but it is also essential for women: in 2011, 65% of women had no education, 6% completed primary education, and 3% completed secondary education.

Health

The new president will be held accountable for improving health in the north, as clinics are under-staffed, and women are ten timesmore likely to die in childbirth than in the south.

With these conditions Boko Haram filled a vacuum. The militants will now be much harder to remove but ultimately, the next government can take steps to start tackling the problems that allowed them to gain a foothold.

Catherine Gegout is a Lecturer in International Relations at University of Nottingham.

The Conversation

Palestine formally joins International Criminal Court

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Palestinians join The Hague-based International Criminal Court, setting scene for potential legal action against Israel.

Palestinians reject the argument the Israeli officials cannot be tried at the ICC, because Israel is not a signatory of the Rome Statute [EPA]

Palestinians reject the argument the Israeli officials cannot be tried at the ICC, because Israel is not a signatory of the Rome Statute [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

Palestine has formally attained membership of the International Criminal Court, a move that could open the door to possible war crime indictments against Israeli officials despite uncertainty over its wider ramifications.

The accession on Wednesday is another landmark in the Palestinian diplomatic and legal international campaign, which gained steam in 2014.

The Palestinians moved to join The Hague-based court on January 2, in a process that was finalised on Wednesday, setting the scene for potential legal action.

“Palestine has and will continue to use all legitimate tools within its means in order to defend itself against Israeli colonisation and other violations of international law,” said senior Palestinian official Saeb Erakat.

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from The Hague, said despite their membership, the Palestinians may still have to wait for the ICC to begin investigating Israelis accused of war crimes.

“This is such a heavily politicised case, that the court will have to think hard before taking action against the Israelis. It may be years before we something.”

Diana Chehade, a former ICC official, told Al Jazeera, preliminary examinations could be completed by the end of this year, but the court would not investigate cases already being looked in to by other judicial institutions.

“Based on the principle of complimentarity, the ICC would not investigate if an Israeli judicial institution is investigating a war crime to ICC standards,” Chehade said.

‘ICC train left’

The ICC has long been brandished as one of the Palestinians’ doomsday measures, along with threatening to end vital West Bank security coordination with Israel.

The notion of ICC investigations is outrageous to Israel, and Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian unity government – including Hamas which the Jewish state considers “terrorist” – of “manipulating” the court.

Israel retaliated swiftly and cut off millions of dollars in monthly tax payments it collects on behalf of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

The notion of forming a Palestinian state by negotiations was buried during this month’s election campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin  Netanyahu, who pledged one would not be established on his watch, were he to retain his post as prime minister.

Netanyahu meanwhile released the held funds, which constitute two-thirds of the PA’s income, excluding foreign aid.

Some Israeli media reported that in exchange for unfreezing the money the Palestinians agreed to refrain from filing complaints to the ICC on April 1.

“It’s a huge lie. Taxes have nothing to do with our ICC approach. The ICC train already departed,” said Xavier Abu Eid, a spokesman for Palestine Liberation Organisation.

‘Absurd’ measures

April 1, however, will be primarily ceremonial, with Palestinian foreign minister Riad Malki receiving a copy of the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty.

While some Palestinian officials announced the date as the day they would file complaints against Israelis, in reality it is more likely they will wait, as state members are only able to draw the court’s attention to specific cases.

In addition, they will be holding on to see the outcomes of a preliminary probe launched by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on January 16.

At the same time that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas sought ICC accession, he also sent the court documents authorising the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes that took place in Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014.

The unrest in June escalated to the summer war between Israel and Gaza fighters, which left dead 2,200 Palestinians and 73 on the Israeli side.

So far, no ICC investigation of Israeli officials has been launched and no time framework has been set for one.

But the Palestinians are confident they will happen sooner rather than later, considering “all the attention to Palestine” at the ICC.

The Palestinians reject the argument the Israeli officials cannot be tried at the ICC, because Israel is not a signatory of the Rome Statute, maintaining the court can also investigate crimes committed on the territory of member states.

“It’s absurd for the ICC to ignore international law and agreements, under which the Palestinians don’t have a state and can only get one through direct negotiations with Israel,” Netanyahu said in January following the announcement of the preliminary probe.

Among the forms of Israeli retaliation is legal assistance for victims of Palestinian attacks.

In February, a US jury found the PA and PLO responsible for six attacks which killed dozens and ordered them to pay the victims’ families more than $650 million in damages.

Yemen factory workers killed in Hodaida air strike

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Medical sources say 23 workers were killed in the strike on a dairy factory in the Red Sea port city of Hodaida.

Medical sources said all 23 casualties had been employees at the factory

Medical sources said all 23 casualties had been employees at the factory

by Al Jazeera

An air strike on Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodaida has killed 23 workers at a dairy factory, medical sources said, in what appears to be one of the biggest cases of civilian deaths in a Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels.

Residents near the Hodaida dairy factory said it was located near an army camp loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, while medical sources in the city said the casualties had all been workers at the plant. The strike on Tuesday night had also destroyed a fuel store, the residents told Reuters news agency.

The incident is believed to have been part of an aerial campaign by Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Muslim states to stop Houthi fighters and former president winning control of the country and reinstating Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

However, after seven nights of bombings targeting both the Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh, the coalition has not managed to secure Hadi’s control over his last remaining enclave of rule in the southern port of Aden, a key aim of the campaign.

The sound of gunfire and several large blasts were heard in Aden throughout the night, the Reuters news agency reported. Videos posted online, which could not be immediately confirmed, appeared to show fighting at an army base loyal to Saleh in the northeast of the city.

A raid at a coastal defence station at Maidi port in Hajja province north of Hodaida killed six soldiers, workers there said, while further strikes hit an army camp in Sanaa and a government facility in Saadeh in the north of Yemen.

In New York, the UN said late on Tuesday that at least 62 children had been killed and 30 wounded in fighting over the past week, and that an attack on a refugee camp in northern Yemen, which medics blamed on an air strike, broke international law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein warned the country was “on the verge of total collapse”.

Indians evacuated

Meanwhile, an Indian naval patrol boat picked up nearly 350 Indian nationals from the port of Aden on Tuesday night, and was expected to arrive in Djibouti during the day, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs said.

More than 4,000 Indians are believed to have been in Yemen when Saudi Arabia launched air strikes last week.

Negotiations are under way to allow evacuation flights into Sanaa, where the Indian community is concentrated, and receive permission to evacuate more from Hodaida, the spokesman said.

As chaos in Yemen continues, air strike kills dozens at refugee camp

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Roughly 500 new families had arrived in the camp over the last two days, escaping bombings in other parts of the country

A displaced family at Al-Mazrak camp in northern Yemen. (Photo: UNHCR)

A displaced family at Al-Mazrak camp in northern Yemen. (Photo: UNHCR)

by Deirdre Fulton, Common Dreams

As a Saudi-led coalition continued to strike Houthi targets in Yemen for a fifth day, at least 45 people have been killed, and dozens more injured, in the northern part of the country after an air strike hit a camp for internally displaced people.

According to Middle East Eye, Al-Mazrak Camp is home to at least 17,000 people displaced by previous fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government as well as more recent arrivals who have fled this week’s attacks.

An International Organization for Migration spokesman said at least 65 people were injured in the bombing, which reportedly hit a medical facility in the camp and the camp management building.

Doctors Without Borders said Monday that roughly 500 new families arrived in the camp over the last two days, escaping bombings in the western area of Sa’dah.

“People in Al Mazraq camp have been living in very harsh conditions since 2009, and now they have suffered the consequences of an airstrike on the camp,” said Pablo Marco, the Doctors Without Borders operational manager for Yemen. “We call all parties to spare civilians from violence, respect the neutrality of medical facilities and staff, and allow unhindered access to medical assistance for the wounded.”

For updates on the unfolding situation, Common Dreams has curated a Twitter feed of trusted voices.

Surrendering to the lens: #syrianchild breaks hearts in the twittersphere

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Turkish journalist Osman Sagirli took the photo in a refugee camp on the Syrian/Turkish border. The image has been retweeted over 14 million times. (Image: Twitter)

Turkish journalist Osman Sagirli took the photo in a refugee camp on the Syrian/Turkish border. The image has been retweeted over 14 million times. (Image: Twitter)

by Khaleej Times

A first glimpse at the picture hardly speaks of the image. But the caption that followed has sent goosebumps to users of the worldwide web. The picture was reportedly taken at a Syrian refugee camp by Turkish journalist Osman Sagirli, but it took the internet by storm when photojournalist Nadia AbuShaban tweeted it.

Seemingly a four-year-old, the Syrian child is pictured ‘surrendering’ after mistaking a camera for a gun. With a straight face and fearful eyes the toddler stares into the lens with pursed lips.

An Imgur user provides a translation of the newspaper excerpt and a name for the child: “His face suddenly drops. He squeezes his bottom lip between his teeth and gently lifts up his hands. Where he remains like that without a word. It is not exactly easy to cheer the child who thought the camera was a machine gun about to strike him. Adi Hudea, only four years old, lost his father in the Hama bombing. He came to Camp Atmen on the border of Syria/Turkey with his very nervous mother and three siblings.”

Everyone on Twitter poured their hearts out over this photo:

Yemen does not need another war: Report from Sana’a

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At least 39 civilians have reportedly been killed so far in the airstrikes.

Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, hold up their weapons to protest against Saudi-led airstrikes, during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, March 26, 2015. Saudi Arabia bombed key military installations in Yemen on Thursday, leading a regional coalition in a campaign against Shiite rebels who have taken over much of the country and drove out the president. (Photo: AP/Hani Mohammed)

Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, hold up their weapons to protest against Saudi-led airstrikes, during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, March 26, 2015. Saudi Arabia bombed key military installations in Yemen on Thursday, leading a regional coalition in a campaign against Shiite rebels who have taken over much of the country and drove out the president. (Photo: AP/Hani Mohammed)

by Democracy Now!

A Saudi-led aerial bombing campaign has entered its second day in Yemen. The Saudi-led airstrikes are intended to thwart the advance of Shiite Houthi rebels after they seized control of the capital Sana’a last year and deposed President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi last month. On Thursday, Hadi left his refuge in Aden for Saudi Arabia. At least 39 civilians have reportedly been killed so far in the airstrikes. Amnesty International reports the dead include at least six children under the age of 10. Saudi’s bombing campaign has been backed by the United States, Gulf states, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Sudan. We go to Sana’a to speak with Farea Al-Muslimi, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Middle East Center. He recently tweeted: “I’m a 25 year old Yemeni man. I’ve seen at least 15 wars in my country. I don’t need more. I need some help and education & economy; not guns.”

Arab League tackles Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen

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Leaders meet in Egypt to discuss crisis in Yemen, where Saudi-led coalition is striking bases of Houthi rebels.

yemen

by Al Jazeera

Arab leaders have gathered in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss the crisis in Yemen, where Saudi-led coalition troops are pressing ahead with airstrikes on Houthi targets.

Security was tight in Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday as the leaders from the Arab League, representing 21 nations, opened the summit, which will discuss possible creation of a joint Arab military force, a sign of a new determination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their allies to intervene aggressively in regional hotspots.

The summit came as their airstrikes continued for a third straight day on Saturday, hitting targets in the city of Hudaydah on the Red Sea Coast, the Houthi stronghold of Saada in the north, and military installations in and around the capital Sanaa.

At least 24 civilians were killed in Friday’s strikes, bringing the toll from two days to 45 civilians, the Houthi-run Interior Ministry said.

The Houthis’ TV station showed footage from a market in Saada it said was struck by missiles, with images of charred bodies and wrecked vehicles.

Yemeni security officials said around 80 fighters from forces loyal to the Houthis or to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh had been killed in the strikes, according to the Associated Press news agency. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the press.

Air strikes also struck the base of Saleh, who ruled the country for more than 30 years. Saleh is believed to have fled to Sanhan, near the capital.

By Friday afternoon, more than 40 percent of Yemen’s air defences were destroyed, according to Yemeni Brigadier General Saleh al-Subaihi, who supports embattled Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled the country.

The figures of civilian and combatant casualties could not be independently confirmed, though Amnesty International said at least six children were among those killed in Sanaa on Thursday.

Diplomats evacuated from Aden

Hadi fled the southern port city of Aden on Thursday under Saudi protection. After a stop in Riyadh, he arrived on Friday in Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the Arab League.

Saudi warships, meanwhile, have evacuated dozens of other Arab and foreign diplomats from Aden, Saudi state television said on Saturday. “They arrived later in Jeddah aboard two Saudi naval vessels,” the report stated.

The spokesman for the Arab coalition bombing Houthi targets in Yemen, Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri, said that Saudi Arabia and its allies will do whatever it takes to stop Yemen’s second largest city from falling to the rebel group, amid reports of ground fighting between forces loyal to Hadi and Houthi fighters in Aden.

Asiri said in Riyadh on Friday that the coalition’s “main objective [is] to protect the government in Aden”. Aden is believed to harbour dozens of army defectors and Houthi fighters.

Asiri’s remarks came as warnings were raised that a humanitarian disaster could unfold should the military intervention escalate.

Civilians fleeing

Bashrahil Hesham Bashrahil, a journalist based in Aden, said civilians were scared, leaving the city with the once busy streets now eerily quiet.

“The markets are closed, businesses are closed and there is a real shortage of food,” Bashrahil told Al Jazeera. “Banks have been shut since Thursday and will not reopen until the security situation has been addressed.

“While power supplies have not yet been affected, there is a real sense of fear should the fighting worsen,” he said. “Hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of injured and are appealing for blood donations.”

Houthis and Hadi loyalists have been clashing on the outskirts of the city in the last few days, leaving many casualties.

Nigerian Army destroys Boko Haram headquarters

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The Nigerian town of Gwoza, home of Boko Haram's command center, has been recaptured, the military reported Friday. (Screenshot: Twitter)

The Nigerian town of Gwoza, home of Boko Haram’s command center, has been recaptured, the military reported Friday. (Screenshot: Twitter)

by Ed Adamczyk, UPI

The Nigerian town of Gwoza, home of Boko Haram’s command center, has been recaptured, the Nigerian military reported Friday.

A Twitter announcement by the Defense Headquarters said, “FLASH: Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the headquarters of the terrorists self-styled caliphate,” a reference to the militant organization’s expressed goal of establishing a Muslim government in western Africa.

In a later statement, military spokesman Chris Olukolade said, “These successful operations have culminated in the dislodgment of terrorists from towns and communities in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states. A massive cordon and search has commenced to locate any of the fleeing terrorists or hostages in their custody.”

Gwoza is near Chibok, where over 200 girls at a boarding school were kidnapped by Boko Haram forces in 2014, initiating an international outrage. Despite suggestions the abducted girls were hidden in Gwoza, the Nigerian military made no reference to them in its statements.

Earlier this month, Boko Haram announced its allegiance to the Islamic State (Daesh). The capture of their operations center can be regarded as a major triumph for the Nigerian army, which has worked since the start of 2015 with armies of neighboring countries to push back Boko Haram advances.

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