…none of our officers maimed by insurgents – Army
The Boko Haram sect has reportedly killed 25 soldiers and scores of civilians in an ambush in Borno State.
The insurgent group reportedly attacked the soldiers Saturday morning while they were evacuating people from villages in the state.
The fighters were said to have opened fire on the soldiers and the villagers who were reportedly occupying about 50 vehicles.
“They ambushed and surrounded the vehicles of both the soldiers and the civilians and opened fire on them,” a member of the civilian joint task force (JTF) ,has said .
“They exchanged fire for some minutes before the Boko Haram militants overpowered the soldiers.”
On Wednesday, the group had released videos of some military men believed to have been captured on the battlefront in the north-east.
The insurgents paraded some of the captives before cameras and they identified themselves with their military service numbers, units and names.
Personnel of the Nigerian army, Nigerian navy, Nigeria police force who were among the captives disclosed the locations they were captured.
The Nigerian military has continued to suffer heavy losses as Boko Haram fighters have launched several attacks on their formation in the north-east.
On May 3, the Islamic State (IS) said it killed 10 soldiers in an attack on a barrack in Magumeri, a community in the state.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian army has denied reports that 25 soldiers were killed in an attack coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.
The Director, Army Public Relations (PRO), Sagir Musa, issued the denial in a statement sent to newsmen in Maiduguri yesterday.
Musa dismissed the report as “rumour and fake”.
“Contrary to rumour and fake news circulating, there was no attack on any of our troops’ locations at Sabon Gari or any other locations in Borno State,” he said.
“I have spoken with the Special Force Commander in Damboa and he confirmed to me that there was nothing of such in Damboa or any of his locations as at Friday) and Saturday.”
