ABUJA: Nigeria’s military on Thursday dismissed as « empty propaganda » claims by Boko Haram’s leader that soldiers have retreated during an ongoing offensive, insisting the campaign has heavily damaged the Islamist insurgents.

In a video obtained by AFP on Tuesday, Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau said soldiers have at times « turned and ran » when facing Islamist fighters and rejected military boasting about the success of the operation.

« We consider it as empty propoganda, » defence spokesman Brigadier General Chris Olukolade said of the video.

« To the best of our understanding, at the moment (the insurgents) are in disarray. They are on the run and so many of them have been captured, » he told AFP.

He declined to provide figures of those captured or killed in the operation launched on May 15 after President Goodluck Jonathan .

declared a state of emergency in three northeastern states considered Boko Haram strongholds.

Shekau’s whereabouts, which cannot be determined in the video, remain unknown.

« I don’t know his location but I know that intelligence is trailing him, » Olukolade said… continued