The Defence Headquarters, DH, has confirmed a surprise attack by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists targeting troops engaged in stabilisation operations in Gubio Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State.
In a statement, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said five soldiers were killed, ten wounded, and four declared missing during the assault.
He, however, said that the troops eliminated several terrorists and recovered weapons.
“The attack resulted in the destruction of equipment, including one gun truck, three TCVs, and an excavator,” the statement said.
He said a reinforcement team, supported by an air component, was dispatched to pursue the attackers.
According to DailyTrust, a military source said that the insurgents launched multiple assaults in an attempt to overrun a special military force stationed in the Kareto community of Gubio LGA.
“The first attack occurred on August 16 at 6:00hrs, where 18 soldiers were killed, and several were injured, with six insurgents neutralized.
“Yesterday, five more soldiers were killed in another attack, while over 30 terrorists were eliminated in subsequent engagements today without further casualties on our side,” the source said.
The special forces had recently arrived in Kareto and begun preparations, such as digging trenches, to facilitate the return of displaced villagers when the insurgents launched their attacks.
These incidents are part of a resurgence of violence in the Lake Chad region, where insurgents have launched frequent assaults despite recent successful operations by the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
|SituationReport|
*With DailyTrust online and other agency reports
