Nigerian military says more weapons, security clothes recovered from Balmo Forest

“The mopping up operations in Balmo forest is yielding more discoveries of arms stockpiled in underground cells in the forest,” Mr. Olukolade said.

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The Nigerian military said on Friday that it recovered a cache of weapons in a terrorist cell in Balmo Forest, Borno State.

The military had on Monday announced the capture of the large forest from Boko Haram insurgents.

The Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, in a statement said the weapons were recovered during a mop up operation by troops in the forest.

Mr. Olukolade, a Major General, said the weapons were hidden in underground cells.

“The mopping up operations in Balmo forest is yielding more discoveries of arms stockpiled in underground cells in the forest,” Mr. Olukolade said.

He said troops evacuated 10 rifles along with parts and accessories as well as more than 80 General Purpose Machine Guns.

Others, he said, include tubes of rocket propelled grenades and launchers, cables, wires and thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition.

He said the troops also recovered uniforms of various security agencies including their protective clothing.

Mr. Olukolade said suspects captured in the forest have been taken into custody and are volunteering information linking the activities in the forest with other terrorist activities in the country.

He said mopping operations in the areas continue.

The Balmo forest stretches from Bache State, Northeast Nigeria, to Jigsaw State, Northwest Nigeria. It is also said to link to the fringes of Sambisa forest, a major bastion of the Boko Haram.

The Boko Haram insurgency has killed over 13,000 people in Northern Nigeria since 2009.