After celebrating the killing of 17 Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West African Province terrorists “and their collaborators” in the Damboa axis in Borno State, Nigerian troops were ambushed by another batch of terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road on Tuesday, killing, at least, 23 soldiers.
Sources said that the terrorists ambushed the Nigerian Army troops in an unexpected reprisal attack between the towns of Limanti and Bulabulin. The troops were returning from patrol.
The returnee troops, with reinforcements from nearby military bases, successfully repelled the attack. Killing “scores” of terrorists, they also recorded casualties with a military source confirming that “at least, 23 soldiers were killed during the encounter.”
Attempts by the Air Task of Operation Lafiya Dole to conduct interdiction operations failed due to bad weather.
Meanwhile, Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, said in a statement on Wednesday that “in continuation of their sustained onslaught against remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West African Province criminals and their collaborators, the gallant troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE under the subsidiary operation, Operation KANTANA JIMLAN have again displayed their combat superiority against the terrorists as part of their heightened offensive operations across the Theatre.
“Relatedly, on Tuesday 7 July, 2020, the troops of 25 Task Force Brigade deployed at Damboa in conjunction with elements of Sector 2 Special Forces while on clearance operations along Damboa -Maiduguri Road, made contact with a Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals’ ambush team along their axis of advance. Instinctively, the valiant troops out flanked and engaged the criminals with overwhelming volume of fire power forcing them to withdraw in disarray.
“In the aftermath of the encounter, 17 Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals were neutralized as several others were believed to have narrowly escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds while a cache of arms and ammunition were equally captured by the gallant troops. Regrettably, 2 valiant soldiers paid the supreme price while 4 others were wounded in action. However, the wounded in action soldiers have been evacuated to a military medical facility and currently responding positively to treatment.
“Meanwhile the Theatre Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE has been directed to immediately deploy a Special Forces Battalion to reinforce and dominate Damboa – Bulabulin – Maiduguri axis to completely deny the terrorists any chance of escape during the final assault against the criminals.
“Members of the general public particularly residents of the area are also requested to remain calm, law abiding and continue with their routine activities as all necessary measures have been put in by the Theatre Command to ensure all routes are safe for commuting without fear of attack by the criminals.”
