Camerounian security forces have seized a large cache of arms and ammunition from the suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Tuesday that the items seized by the Camerounian security forces included 288 rifles, 35 rocket propelled grenades and several other Improvised Explosive Devices.

Olukolade said that the items were recovered from the insurgents after a fierce encounter between the Camerounians and the insurgents at Abugasse near the border with Chad.

The Defence Spokesman said that the security men also arrested two major arms suppliers to the insurgents in Nigeria who were in possession of over 50 Camerounian passports and a Toyota jeep.

Olukolade also said that other weapons such as pistols, mortar bombs, sub-machine guns and various calibers of arms and ammunition were recovered from the arrested suspected gun runners.

Olukolade, who described the seizure as a product of collaborative cross border efforts against terrorism recalled that Cameroun gave a recent pledge to back Nigeria’s counter terrorism campaign.

He stated also that the Nigerian Special Forces also arrested a terrorist driving a green Peugeot car with registration number Bauchi 264 AAA, which was heading from Alagarno to Maiduguri and recovered 15 ‘AK47 rifles and 12 magazines and various  yet to be assembled rifles’ from him.

According to him the Special Forces had also arrested several terrorists with arms recovered from them at the nation’s border with Cameroun, in addition to those captured in the ongoing offensive.

Olukolade said that intense military operation was going on at the Alagarno area and various points of the Sambisa Forest.

He said that Special Forces had destroyed 14 operational vehicles and recovered various calibers of arms and ammunition from the insurgents in the operation which started on Monday.

-Punch