From: JUDEX OKORO, Calabar
Barely a week after Bakassi militants killed some soldiers in the Bakassi, troops of 13 Brigade and Operation Delta Safe repelled another attack killing seven of the militants yesterday.
The Chief of Army Staff recently launched Operation Crocodile Smile in Calabar and deployed hundreds of soldiers from the 13 Amphibious Brigade to Bakassi and Akpabuyo to flush out militants from the local government areas of the state.
However, the militants allegedly led by self-styled Gen Ene Benjamin (G1), who has been declared wanted by security operatives, attacked the soldiers and killed five of them.
In a statement released yesterday, the Commander of 13 Brigade, Gen Bulama Biu, said the unrepentant militant group, the Bakassi Strike Force, again attacked Army position in Efut Isigi in Cross River State at about 1am yesterday.
According to the statement, militants led by the most wanted criminal, Benjamin Ene, alias G1, were repelled by soldiers stationed there killing seven of them.
He said “About 0100hrs early morning on 30/09/2016 the militant group led by the most wanted criminal, Benjamin Ene alias G1 attacked troops position.
“The very determined troops of 13 Brigade and Operation Delta Safe repelled the attack killing 7 of the militants, some of them wearing Nigerian military camouflage.
“Items recovered are 250 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, rocket propelled gun launcher, GPMG belt links and various charms were recovered while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.”
The Commander said though no causality was recorded by the military, no militant group or criminal under any guise would be spared. He added that the military and other security agencies will continue to hunt down any militant group or criminals that do not surrender. Earlier, some of the militant camps and shrines identified, were destroyed.