FRANCIS OKOYE, Maiduguri
No less than 81 Boko Haram terrorist fighters were killed while a soldier with the Nigerian army in the general area of Sambisa paid the highest price in a new onslaught on rebels.
LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday that the soldier died from a landmine attack, while four suffered varying degrees of injuries, even as fleeing terrorists continued to ravage and destroy villages on their escape routes.
According to a report from a military intelligence source, troops
Sector 1, consisting of troops from 21 and 26 brigades with the support of the Multinational Joint Working Group (MNJTF), cleared many villages of
terrorists in the Axis, including Garin Bello, Kwoche, Lawanti, Alfa Bula Hassan and Alfa Cross, among others.
“Nigerian troops in the Sambis forest have encountered strong resistance
from terrorists who planted improvised explosive devices along the axis of the troops’ advance.
“The relentless troops destroyed the terrorist camps and recovered
artillery and weapons while NAF aircraft continue to provide close air and interdiction support to ground forces.
“Unfortunately, the soldier made a supreme sacrifice with 4 other soldiers wounded in the incident with improvised explosive devices,” the intelligence officer added in a message to the troops on behalf of the chief of staff of the army, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru. The commander of Operation Lafiya Dole Theater, Major General Faruk Jahaja, who praised the gallantry of the troops, urged them to keep up the pace.
In the related development of events, our correspondent gathered that great
a number of fleeing Boko Haram terrorists attacked the villages of Zira and Gur in the Biu South local government area of Borno State.
According to the report, terrorists attacked communities in
on Sunday around 4:30 pm on motorcycles and trucks with guns and set on fire
many houses, while residents cheated for security. Plane NAF
was later bombed by fleeing air terrorists.