Troops kill nine Boko Haram members in surprise attack

The troops of the Nigerian Army have killed nine members of the Boko Haram insurgents
in a surprise attack at Tatakura, Wubi, in Borno State.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement on Sunday that the insurgents were planning to carry out attacks at Wunbi in Kala Balge Local Government Area of the state when the troops staged the preventive action.

He said that the troops of the 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade, had an encounter with the insurgents while they were on patrol to foil the planned attack after receiving intelligence report on the plot.

Usman said that six soldiers who received gunshot wounds during the operation had been evacuated from the battle front for urgent medical attention and were in stable condition.

According to hm, the troops ‘captured three AK-47 rifles, one Fabrique Nationale rifle, one General Purpose Machine Gun, a 60mm Mortar Tube, one Rocket Propelled Grenade 7 Tube, one G3-Machine Gun and seven Fabrique Nationale Magazines’ from the insurgents.

Other recovered items from the insurgents “included 108 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one Energa grenade, an RPG 7 bomb as well as three 60mm mortar bombs and two motor cycles.”

Usman said in another statement that the troops also destroyed a secret Boko Haram factory for Improvised Explosive Devices at Ngala.

He said that the troops who located the factory through intelligence they received from concerned Nigerians also killed a number of the insurgents.

He said that the soldiers recovered ’20 gas cylinders of various sizes prepared and ready for explosive insertion, primers, gun powder, electric wires and tape recorders, amongst other items’ from the insurgents.