A day after the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdulahi Sule, raised alarm that the Boko Haram terrorist group is regrouping in his State, the terrorists killed nine soldiers during a rescue operation in a forest along Mararaba-Udege road in Nasarawa State linking Otukpo-Oweto in Benue State.
Sources said that the slain soldiers were from the 177 Guards Battalion, Shitu Barracks, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The source noted that the slain soldiers were on a mission to dislodge the Boko Haram terrorists from the forest.
The terrorists had taken over the forest areas and held many of the kidnapped citizens captive.
Governor Sule had on Friday told journalists after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that Boko Haram was wrecking havoc in the State, saying that although they have been dislodged from Toto Local Government where they had camped, they have regrouped at the Nasarawa/Benue border from where they are now launching attacks on residents.
The Governor said the terrorists who are active in Nasarawa State belong to the Darussalam group that were dislodged from Niger State, adding that earlier, a joint security operations killed a lot of them while 900 were arrested.
The source stated that the operation led to the death of about five Boko Haram terrorists before they overpowered the soldiers with weapons which were allegedly more sophisticated than those used by the soldiers.
According to the source, “we actually lost nine soldiers in that mission. It is quite unfortunate. But that is the supreme price soldiers occasionally pay to sustain the peace and unity of Nigeria. The authorities of the 117 Guards Battalion have informed the families of the slain soldiers of their fate while a signal had already been sent to the Guards Brigade Headquarters.
“We are currently collaborating with Four Special Forces Command of the Nigerian military headquarters in Doma Local Government Area of the State to reinforce and launch a counter attack. We are not giving up. We must overrun them and make sure we dislodge them completely.”