Two officers and five soldiers have been reportedly killed on Friday when OPHK operatives engaged Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists who attacked Kala Balge town in Borno State.
Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the spokesman for the Army, said on Saturday that three other members of the Sector 1 Joint Task Force (JTF) North East (NE) were injured in the attack.
“Regrettably, two officers and five soldiers paid the supreme price, while three personnel who sustained gunshot wounds are currently receiving medical attention,” the spokesman said.
General Onyema, on the other hand, revealed that the troops killed dozens of terrorists who arrived on gun trucks and motorcycles.
According to him, insurgents attacked troops stationed at the Forward Operational Base (FOB) Rann, a town on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
“Troops gallantly engaged the marauding terrorists with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their mission and withdraw in disarray.
“In the fierce battle for Kala Balge, troops defended the town and neutralized 26 BH/ISWAP terrorists,” the army spokesman narrated.
He went on to say that the valiant troops also seized terrorists’ combat vehicles, 18 AK-47 rifles, and one M-21 rifle, as well as a large amount of ammunition. Troops also destroyed a number of other pieces of equipment.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has paid tribute to the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price in defending their fatherland.
He has also praised troops for their bravery in the North East, particularly in light of recent victories in Gajiram and the Tumbus.
