Five days after ambushing a Presidential Guards Brigade troops in which nearly a dozen soldiers were “decimated,” Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists again attacked a Nigerian Army checkpoint around Zuma Rock, killing soldiers.
Zuma Rock is a major landmark along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway located at the boundary between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and neighbouring Niger State. it is also close to Madalla town, a few meters away from Zuba, FCT along the highway.
The attack by the terrorists and counter-attack triggered citizens’ alert as relatives, friends and wellwishers were warned to avoid the area. One of them read: “There is a heavy gun battle between terrorists and soldiers of the Guards Brigade at Madallah, Kaduna Road. It is serious military operation.”
A source confirmed that the terrorists invaded the military checkpoint some minutes after 7pm and opened fire immediately.
“They took control of the area for about 30 minutes and kept on shooting before heading towards Kaduna axis of the expressway,” the source said.
About 20 minutes after the terrorists left, soldiers from Zuma Barracks rushed to the scene and took full control. A patrol team of policemen also arrived at the place.
The attack comes amid heightened tension in Abuja over threats of terrorists’ attacks.
Since the invasion of Kuje Prison in the nation’s capital on July 5, there have been security concerns among residents of Abuja.
On Sunday, soldiers attached to the Presidential Guards Brigade were killed in an ambush laid by terrorists.
24 hours after the incident, the management of Federal Government College, Kwali, asked parents to evacuate their children from the school following an attack by bandits in a neighbouring community.
The FCTA authorities and the Ministry of Education also ordered the shutdown of schools in the nation’s capital.
