LAGOS, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- No territory in Nigeria's restive North East region is being occupied by the Boko Haram terror group, the Nigerian army said Friday.
Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, a spokesperson for the army, said in a statement that all territories earlier ransacked by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East had been reclaimed.
Nwachukwu dismissed as misleading reports indicating that seven of the 27 local government areas of Borno State were still under Boko Haram control.
Nwachukwu said the Operation Lafiya Dole had recorded significant successes and had rooted out the insurgents from their major tactical enclave in Sambisa forest and their spiritual headquarters at Alagarno.
Nwachukwu stressed that the army had initiated precursor operations to put a final onslaught to the insurgency in the North East.
According to him, a special Mobile Strike Force was launched to patrol localities as well as seek out and neutralize the insurgents from their hideouts.
"The insurgents are on the run and could not hold or control any territory. Boko Haram lacks the capability to hold any territory in the North East," he said.
