Insurgents of Boko Haram/ISWAP have killed five soldiers and wounded ten others in a surprise attack in Gubio Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this in a statement, added that four other soldiers were missing.
Buba said the incident happened to the troops engaged in stabilisation operations in the area, adding that the troops killed 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.
It was learnt that the terrorists launched several attacks 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,” a source revealed.
The special forces were deployed to Kareto and began preparations, such as digging trenches, to facilitate the return of displaced villagers when the insurgents launched their attacks.
These incidents had led to an increase in violence in the Lake Chad region, where insurgents have launched frequent assaults despite recent successful operations by the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Last month, 40 soldiers were killed during an attack on a military base, prompting Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno to initiate an operation that neutralised many terrorists and forced their remnants to retreat into Niger Republic.
In another development, the Borno State Government has condoled the military following the attack against the troops where five soldiers were killed and ten others wounded.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, the government described the incident as a painful reminder of the cruelty of Boko Haram terrorists.
“On behalf of the government and good people of Borno, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the armed forces and families of the deceased over the demise of our fellow compatriots. May Allah rest their souls and grant fortitude to the affected families,” the statement read.
The government expressed its solidarity with the Armed Forces and its commitment to keep supporting efforts to end insurgency in the region.
