“Troops of 1 Division on escort duty along Damaturu-Maiduguri road yesterday fought through an ambush staged by Boko Haram terrorists.”
Molly Kilete, Abuja
Few weeks after it was officially confirmed that 23 soldiers were killed by Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian Army yesterday said that 13 soldiers and one police officer were killed by the terror group in an ambush.
Soldiers feared killed in another Boko Haram attack
The soldiers were said to be on escort duty along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road when they came under attack.
The army said the bodies of the soldiers and the policeman have been deposited in the mortuary, while those injured during the ambush have been evacuated to a medical facility where they are currently receiving treatment.
The deputy director, army public relations in charge of theatre command, Col. Onyema Nwachuku, who made this known in a statement, also said that soldiers repelled another attack by the Boko Haram group on its forward operational base (FOB) located at Kukareta in Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe State.
He said the soldiers killed several of the terrorists while one soldier was wounded during the operation.
Nwachuku, in the statement, said: “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, Monday, December 24, 2018, repelled a Boko Haram terrorists’ attack on a FOB at Kukareta in Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe state. The terrorists, who attacked the location at about 6.30pm met with prompt and fierce response of the vigilant troops who engaged and overpowered them, killing several of the terrorists. Unfortunately, however, a soldier was wounded in the encounter.
“In another encounter, troops of 1 Division on escort duty along Damaturu-Maiduguri road yesterday fought through an ambush staged by Boko Haram terrorists. The gallant troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight, courageously wading through the ambush. Sadly, 13 military personnel and a police officer paid the supreme price while extricating themselves from the ambush. A clearance operation to pursue and eliminate the Boko Haram terrorists’ ambush party is still ongoing.
“The bodies of the gallant soldiers and the policeman and the wounded have been evacuated. The wounded soldier is currently receiving treatment.”
The insurgents have been running riot in the last couple of weeks, killing soldiers and over-running communities in the northeastern part of the country. While sources claimed that close to 100 soldiers were killed when the insurgents attacked a military base in Metele, Bornu State, military authorities said only 23 of their men were killed.