#TrackNigeria -At least 10 multinational military personnel and 64 Boko Haram terrorists have been killed in a battle when the terrorists invaded Darak, the MNJTF said in a statement.
Colonel Timothy Antigha,Chief of Military Public Information, MNJTF,N’Djamena, Chad disclosed this in a statement clarifying recent reports by an global news agency.
He said “the attention of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has been drawn to an emerging pattern of international/local media coverage of the crisis in the Lake Chad Area which suggests sympathy and support for Boko Haram activities and narrative, at the expense of the efforts being made by a coalition of the Armed Forces of countries of the Lake Chad Basin.
“This pattern of coverage has been observed over a period, but the recent report of the clash between Sector 1 of the MNJTF and Boko Haram Terrorists in Darak in Northern Cameroon, which portrayed Boko as being dominant, has called for serious concern.
The statement described the figures quoted by the global news outlets as “very unfortunate.”
The MNJTF sspokesman said, “For the record, two days ago, about 300 heavily armed Boko Haram Terrorists invaded Darak.
“However, they were met with stiff MNJTF resistance resulting in the bloody gun battle which lasted for several hours.
“At the end of the fire fight, the following statistics were recorded:10 MNJTF personnel killed in Action, 8 MNJTF wounded and evacuated for medical attention, 8 civilians killed and one wounded; 64 Boko Haram Terrorists killed, 8 captured, Several wounded, 3 Boko Haram boats destroyed and several arms and ammunition confiscated.
“This bold and ruthless response by the MNJTF is in keeping with the resolve of the Force to make the Lake Chad Area untenable for terrorists of whatever persuasion.
The statement adds, “The MNJTF understands that the news business thrives on timeliness. However, it is always desirable to ensure that facts and accuracy are not lost in the quest for urgency, in order not to give the impression that evil is favoured over good.
“To facilitate the need of accuracy, the MNJTF is always ready to respond to requests for verification or confirmation of information on occurrences within its Area of Operation. The media is therefore urged to keep faith with a key tenet of the profession, which is the sanctity of facts.”
