Two soldiers and four others of the 25 Task Force Brigade deployed at Damboa have lost their lives during an encounter with Boko Haram terrorists in Borno, Northeast Nigeria.
The Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, confirmed this to Channels Television in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, the soldiers in conjunction with elements of Sector 2 Special Forces while on clearance operations along Damboa -Maiduguri Road, made contact with a Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals’ ambush team along their axis of advance.
The defense spokesman noted that the attack which occurred on July 7, left at least 17 terrorists dead, adding that several others were believed to have been injured.
“In the aftermath of the encounter, 17 Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals were neutralized as several others were believed to have narrowly escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds while a cache of arms and ammunition were equally captured by the gallant troops.
“Regrettably, 2 valiant soldiers paid the supreme price while 4 others were wounded in action,” the statement partly read.
Enenche explained that the injured “soldiers have been evacuated to a military medical facility and currently responding positively to treatment.”
Meanwhile, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole has been “directed to immediately deploy a Special Forces Battalion to reinforce and dominate Damboa – Bulabulin – Maiduguri axis.”
This, according to the defense spokesman is to “completely deny the terrorists any chance of escape during the final assault against the criminals.”
Reacting to the development, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai commended the “troops for their resilience and patriotism in crushing the remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals.”
He, however, asked them to sustain the onslaught against the “criminals as we approach the end of the insurgency in our country.”
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