At least 18 suspected Boko Haram fighters were killed during a battle with soldiers in Sambisa forest yesterday morning, the Nigeria Army has said.
The army said combined troops of 26 and 28 Task Force Brigades repelled an early morning attack by fleeing suspected Boko Haram terrorists on military locations at Pulka and Bitta in the borders of Sambisa forest.
According to a statement yesterday by the Director, Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, the troops killed the 18 suspected terrorists while repelling the attacks on the formations, while several others fled with series of gunshot wounds.
He said the troops recovered arms and ammunition and the operating vehicle of the terrorists.
Usman, a brigadier-general, narrated that troops of 114 Task Force Battalion had come under a three-pronged attack by the terrorists fanning out of Sambisa forest from Damboa, Tokumbere and Pulka axis.
He said: “At the end of the debacle, two Boko Haram insurgents paid for their atrocities with their lives while several others sustained gunshot injuries. The fate that befell those that attacked Pulka was more dreadful.
“The ever ready and vigilant troops rose to the occasion by repelling the attacks and killing all the 16 attackers and captured one of them alive during the exploitation.
“The gallant troops also recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), one Browning Machine Gun (BMG) and two Toyota Hilux vehicles. Others are a 60mm Mortar tube, seven boxes of 12.7mm ammunition and one belt of 12.7mm ammunition.
“It is gratifying to state that there were no casualties on our troops except for three soldiers that sustained minor injuries.
“The troops remained on maximum alert and are equally busy consolidating and continuing with their clearance operations with high morale.” (Premium Times)
