5 soldiers dead, 30 others missing in Boko Haram attack; army denies casualties
- The attack was said to have occurred on Saturday, December 30, 2017
- The insurgents reportedly struck the army base in seven trucks and were dressed military uniforms
- An eyewitness and ‘a credible top security source’ said bodies of soldiers were recovered and some troops could not be accounted for after the attack
- Nigerian army 3 Division, Damaturu spokesman Col. Kayode Ogunsanya however denied that any casualties were suffered by the force
Not fewer than five soldiers were said to have been killed by insurgents in a surprise attack on a military base in Yobe at the close of December 2017.
The Guardian quoted ‘a credible top security source’ as saying that five soldiers were found dead and evacuated to Maiduguri and about 30 others could not be immediately accounted for after the attack.
The report further quoted an eyewitness Bukar as saying that the attackers struck the base in seven Toyota Hilux vans.
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He said: “We thought they were soldiers because everything about them was like soldiers, their dressing, their vehicles, everything. They passed through the town but did not touch anybody. They went straight to the military base. Then we started hearing heavy gunshots.”
But the Nigerian army, which has confirmed the attack however, denied that it lost any soldier or could not account for some others.
The denials were made by the spokesman of 3 Division, Nigerian Army, in Damaturu, the state capital, Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, on Monday, January 1.
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He said: “Yes, there was an attack on our troops two days ago by Boko Haram terrorists in Kannama town. It was, however, repelled. Our soldiers are in hot pursuit of the fleeing insurgents.”
The report comes just as Nigerian Army recorded victory in Lake Chad area.
NAIJ.com reported that not fewer than 700 men and women abducted by Boko Haram insurgents and drafted into forced labour in Lake Chad area regained their freedom with the help of Nigerian troops.
The Nigerian army announced this in a statement released on Monday, January 1 and signed by Colonel Timothy Antigha, the deputy director, public relations of the 8 Division of the Nigerian army.
The statement read: "Over 700 farmers, fishermen and members of their families who were hitherto held by Boko Haram terrorists as farm workers have fled the various islands in Lake Chad to Monguno."
Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng