Nigeria army claims retaliation as 11 Boko Haram members killed

The Nigerian army's Joint Task Force, responsible for combating one of the biggest national security threats of the last decade, said the incident took place in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri. Boko Haram was born in this remote area, near the frontier with Chad, where Islamist sentiment has steadily been gaining ground.Ten days ago, Boko Haram killed at least 185 people in eight separate strikes conducted by suicide bombers and gunmen in the northern city of Kano. The incident on Saturday was the first time that security forces have hit back since those attacks.

Soldiers were carrying out a "cordon-and-search" operation in Maiduguri when an "exchange of fire" took place, said an army spokesman. During the ensuing battle, 11 of the extremists were killed, he added.

A spokesman for Boko Haram confirmed the deaths, but told journalists that its members had been taken from their homes and killed. In the past, the army's heavy-handed tactics have claimed hundreds of lives and helped to bolster popular support for Boko Haram in the largely Muslim northern states.

Commentators say that military deployments risk causing more resentment and becoming counterproductive. Violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta has been significantly reduced by negotiations with militant groups and amnesties for their fighters, accompanied by monthly payments for those who lay down their arms. Some argue that using this model might work with Boko Haram.

However, President Goodluck Jonathan made a public offer of "dialogue" last week, only to be turned down by one of Boko Haram's leading figures on Saturday. The militant, styling himself "Abul Qaqa", told journalists: "We don't think dialogue is possible under the current conditions."

He noted that security forces arrested members of the group on the "same day Goodluck Jonathan said we should come out for dialogue". Qaqa threatened to launch more attacks if the Boko Haram members were not released.

A similar warning preceded the bombings in Kano on Jan 20 and the group's fighters have sustained their offensive in the city ever since. On Friday night, gunmen riding motorcycles raided another of Kano's police stations, killing two officers.

Even in the capital, Abuja, cinemas and shopping malls are closing by 10pm because of the perceived threat.

These sophisticated attacks demonstrate Boko Haram's new capabilities, said Audu Grema, formerly head of Britain's Department for International Development in northern Nigeria. "Their techniques and their success rates are unbelievable. Their weapons and their tactics show these people have clearly had military training," he said.





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