BOKO HARAM TARGETS ARMY LOCATION, SCORES KILLED

A FUNERAL IN JANUARY 2019 FOR FIVE  AIRFORCE PERSONNEL WHO DIED IN COMBAT IN A HELICOPTER CRASH WHILE FIGHTING BOKO HARAM IN BORNO, NORTH EAST NIGERIA. (PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES; SODIQ ADELAKUN)

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East have engaged some Boko Haram terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the Nigerian Army location at 3 Battalion in the Gamboru area of Borno State, during which scores of the fighters were shot dead.

The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, said on Wednesday that the Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province terrorists came to the military location with seven gun trucks on Monday but met a stiff resistance from the troops.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, said in a statement that the troops seized three gun trucks, two anti-aircraft guns, two AK-47 rifles and one rocket propelled grenade tube from the insurgents.

Onyeuko said, “Troops of 3 Battalion and Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 in Gamboru on a targeted patrol had yet another fierce encounter with some Boko Haram and ISWAP marauders in a convoy of seven gun trucks and many motorcycles approaching the battalion’s location at about 6pm on Tuesday.

“Consequently, the criminals were overpowered and pursued up to the Wurge area. No soldier lost his life, and no military equipment was seized during the encounter.”

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said there was no rift between the Nigerian and Chadian armed forces as being insinuated in some quarters based on the Chadian troops’ battles with the Boko Haram insurgents.

While fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja, Enenche denied that there was rivalry between Nigeria and Chad or any other country in the Lake Chad basin.

He said, “The Nigerian component of the Multi-National Joint Task Force together with other members from the Lake Chad Basin Commission has been involved in clearance operation around the Lake Chad Basin.

“This is the fallout of the recent offensive actions of the armed forces of Nigeria in the North-East Operation Lafiya Dole.

“There is no disagreement between the Nigerian and Chadian troops and joint operations are ongoing.

“The combined effort of troops of the land component, maritime component and air component has resulted in the neutralisation of scores of the Boko Haram terrorists and ISWAP elements.”

----PUNCH