Soldiers, Boko Haram insurgents in gun battle in Borno

Troops of the Nigerian army’s Operation Hadin Kai are in a gun battle with Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno state.

TheCable understands that the terrorists ambushed soldiers escorting commercial vehicles at Yaleri village along Damboa Road.

According to an intelligence officer who spoke to Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the troops engaged the insurgents while the passengers scampered for safety.

“The jihadists rained heavy gunfire on the Military convoy moving in armoured and soft-skin vehicles, escorting commercial vehicles but the troops are currently responding to them,” the intelligence officer was quoted as saying.

“There is no certain figure of casualties yet.”

TheCable had reported how troops of 27 task force battalion recently killed scores of Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) fighters in Yobe.

The ISWAP members had converged at Wulle on Sunday to launch an attack on the troops’ formation but they were repelled.

Zagazola had recently reported that ISWAP fighters have concluded plans to stage ambushes and attacks against the Nigerian military along strategic routes and formations in the north-east.