Boko Haram Islamists have recaptured the strategic town of
Marte in northeastern Nigeria’s restive Borno state, a regional
official said early on Saturday.
“It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte
has today completely fallen under the control of the
insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback,” said
Mustapha Zannah, vice governor of the Borno state.
The town, located along a strategic trading route between
Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon and Chad, has traded
hands between the jihadists and government troops
numerous times since 2013.
A regional military coalition of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and
Cameroon has claimed a series of major victories against
Boko Haram since launching sweeping offensives against
the jihadists in February.
Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency has claimed some 15,000
lives and displaced about 1.5 million people.