Troops foil ambush attempt, recover supplies linked to terrorists in Borno

Troops foil ambush attempt, recover supplies linked to terrorists in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Joint Task Force North East under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), as part of Operation Desert Sanity V, have foiled an attempted ambush by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Bulayobe–Darel Jamel axis in Borno.

Security sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 5:35 a.m. on Feb. 13 when troops, in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force volunteers, were on night ambush duty at Papa 4, approximately 4.1 kilometres from the Forward Operating Base.

The troops reportedly sighted elements of Boko Haram attempting to cross the Main Supply Route from the Cameroon axis toward the Nigerian axis.

On sighting the insurgents, the troops engaged them with heavy gunfire, forcing the terrorists to flee in disarray.

During exploitation of the area, troops recovered two sacks bearing inscriptions with phone numbers and names of alleged senders and receivers.

According to the sources, one of the sacks was marked with a sender’s details traced to Kano, while the receiver’s contact was traced to Maiduguri.

Items recovered from the sacks include 28 scarves, 10 Kampala materials, three praying mats, three copies of the Qur’an and other religious books, four cashmere materials, 40 bicycle parts, one sewing machine, one machine oil, one measuring tape and screwdriver, three eye drops, and four packs of ampicillin medication.

Further exploitation of the area yielded no additional items.

Military sources said troops have continued to maintain an aggressive posture, heightening surveillance and vigilance to deny terrorists freedom of action within their area of responsibility.

They added that the general situation within the area remains under control, while troops’ morale and fighting efficiency remain satisfactory.

Troops foil ambush attempt, recover supplies linked to terrorists in Borno