A group of Boko Haram terrorists embarked on a failed mission on Saturday in an attempt to attack Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State in north-east Nigeria, the military has said.
The Deputy Director of Public Relations 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Colonel Ado Isa, confirmed this incident in a statement on Sunday.
He noted that the terrorists who were suspected to have come from the Sambisa Forest approached the town from different directions simultaneously on over 15 gun trucks.
They were, however, prevented from entering the town by the troops of 28 Task Force Brigade of Sector 1 of Operation Lafiya Dole who engaged the criminals with superior firepower.
During the fierce battle, a soldier died with two others injured while the terrorists suffered huge losses in men, materials, and equipment.
Colonel Isa disclosed that the troops captured four gun trucks from them while some additional gun trucks were also destroyed by the Air Task Force of the operation.
“Scores of the terrorists were killed and over 20 terrorists’ dead bodies were counted.
“Additionally, three boxer motorcycles, three anti-aircraft guns, two PKT machine guns, 10 AK47 rifles, and 13 Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs, as well as a large cache of ammunition and other weapons were captured from the terrorists among others,” the statement said.
It added, “Unfortunately, one soldier paid the supreme sacrifice, and two others were wounded during the encounter and are stable and responding to treatment.
“May God grant repose to the soul of the dead soldier and quick recovery to the two wounded in action soldiers.”
Colonel Isa gave an assurance that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole would continue to sustain the aggressive, offensive posture to rid the North East of remnants of Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents, rapists, and marauders, among other criminals.
