How troops stopped Boko Haram attacks — but lost four soldiers

Scores of suspected members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been killed by troops of the Nigerian Army.

The troops, from sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole, were on patrol along the Lake Chad region on Saturday when they engaged the insurgents in a gunfight.

Mohammed Yerima, army spokesperson in a statement on Monday, said the insurgents were given a “hot pursuit,” but three soldiers and one officer were killed in the process.

“The combined troops of the Sector which were on clearance patrol along the fringes of the Lake Chad had advanced and cleared Daban Massara and Ali Sherifti villages among other settlements before they harbored for replenishment and retrofitting,” he said.

“However, as they commenced the second phase of their operations and advancing along the Kukawa – Monguno road, about 14 kilometers to their base, they sighted BHTs/ISWAP gun trucks and swiftly commenced pursuit with heavy fire and deft manouver.

“In the course of the hot pursuit which was aided by air cover provided by the Air Task Team of Operation Lafia Dole, several terrorists were neutralized and their gun trucks destroyed.

“Unfortunately however, 1 officer and 3 gallant soldiers paid the supreme sacrifices while those wounded in action are currently receiving medical attention at 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital in Maimalari Cantonment.”

He assured Nigerians that troops are working to end the insurgency in line with the directive of Ibrahim Attahiru, the chief of army staff.

Attahiru, at the weekend, visited troops of sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole.

The army chief commended the troops for “their exploits and achievements in dislodging the Boko Haram insurgents and Islamic States West Africa Province criminals from their claves within the Timbuktu Triangle during the first phase of Operation Tura Takaibango in the sector’s area of operational responsibility”.

The army, in the past months, has launched offensives against the insurgents.