Boko Haram affected areas

Cameroon says a regional force arrested more than 300 Boko Haram fighters and freed at least 2,000 people in the first five days of an operation to flush the terrorists from their remaining hideouts along the borders of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

A Cameroon military commander says an operation has been launched to rid the country of Boko Haram militants "once and for all." Gen. Jacob Kodji said Thursday that the operation С code-named Tentacle С involved thousands of soldiers working with Nigerian soldiers on the other side of the Cameroon's northern border.

[Й] Retired General Dan Ali said Wednesday the military has reclaimed much of the land once occupied by the terrorist group and that Boko Haram has been reduced to waging mostly guerrilla warfare.

[Й] The troops from Benin will act as a reserve rapid intervention force and are the last from the five countries involved in the African Union-led force to be deployed.

The United States has offered to send a special operations mission to Nigeria to help the West African country fight Islamist militant group Boko Haram, the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) said on Friday.

So far donors, including Nigeria and France, have pledged about $250 million to fund the 8,700-strong regional force Й That covers just over a third of the $700 million budget announced for the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) last year.

Й Benin is set to join the regional fight against Boko Haram shortly with the deployment of 800 soldiers to insurgency hot-beds in northern Nigeria. Speaking after holding bilateral security co-operation talks with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Cotonou on Wednesday, Benin President Boni Yayi said 800 troops will join the Nigerian-led JMNTF.

Cameroon says its troops have killed 100 Boko Haram militants and freed 900 captives that were held by the Nigeria-based militant group. Й There has been no independent confirmation of the claim.

Boko Haram and Islamic State (IS) were jointly responsible for 51% of all claimed global terror fatalities in 2014, with Boko Haram taking over IS as the worldХs deadliest terror group with 7 500 deaths last year. This is according to a new report indicating terrorism is at its highest level ever.

"They will take advantage of the end of the rainy season now to really go after them," said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa Й The 8,700-strong joint force, headquartered in Chad's capital N'Djamena with troops from Chad, Niger, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, was supposed to be fully functional in July.