Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP ambush in Borno, kill 10, recover arms

Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP ambush in Borno, kill 10, recover arms

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have repelled an ambush by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Borno State, killing 10 insurgents and recovering a cache of arms and equipment.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday during ongoing Operation Desert Sanity V/Siege Operations.

The source said troops of Sector 1, in conjunction with elements of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local hunters, came under attack by terrorists who were in an ambush position with a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) and small arms fire.

“The troops, who were on high alert, responded with heavy volume of fire and successfully repelled the ambush.

“The attack was followed by the detonation of an IED on the troops, but their swift response forced the terrorists to withdraw in disarray, with several of them killed and others sustaining gunshot wounds,” the source said.

He added that a reinforcement team from Ngoshe swiftly moved to cut off the terrorists’ withdrawal routes along the foothills of the Mandara Mountains and successfully ambushed the retreating fighters.

“Troops mounted a hot pursuit on the remnants who managed to escape and exploited the general area towards the withdrawal routes, recovering several bodies and equipment,” he said.

The source said 10 terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, including two senior leaders identified as Basulhu, a key commander, and his second-in-command, Ubaida.

Items recovered from the terrorists include three AK-47 rifles, one pump-action gun, five motorcycles, two hand grenades, two Baofeng radios, 12 AK-47 magazines, 197 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, one RPG charger, two detonating cords, 13 nine-volt batteries, an iron bar, a bandolier and a camel bag.

The source said the general security situation in the area remained relatively calm but fluid, adding that troops continued to maintain maximum alertness.

Troops repel Boko Haram/ISWAP ambush in Borno, kill 10, recover arms