Defence Headquarters on Tuesday evening confirmed that five soldiers were killed, ten wounded, and four declared missing during a surprise attack against troops by Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Gubio Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State.
However, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, said in a statement that the troops, who were conducting stabilisation operations in the area fought and eliminated about 30 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.
Meanwhile, the Borno State Government has expressed its condolences to the military following the loss of the soldiers with the the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, describing the deaths 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 reaffirmed its solidarity with the armed forces and its commitment to supporting efforts to end insurgency in the region.
Earlier, sources had said that the terrorists had launched multiple assaults in an attempt to overrun the Special Forces unit stationed in the Kareto community of Gubio LGA.
The source noted: Remember that the first attack on these troops in the area 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.”
The attack on the Special Forces was aimed at forestalling their operations in Kareto area as they had immediately on deployment begun preparations, including digging trenches to facilitate the return of displaced villagers. They were on it when the attacks occured.
These incidents are part of a resurgence of 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 Chad Republic 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.