By, Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen Rogers
Nicholas has said that two soldiers lost their lives on Tuesday to
reclaim six border area communities held by Boko Haram in Gwoza
council of Borno state.
The reclaimed border communities with Cameroon include Agapalawa,
Amuda, Nyawa, Attagara, Chikideh and Chinene located along the foot
hills of Mandara Mountains.
Members of the communities, comprising women and children were
attacked and sacked by terrorists in 2014 and 2016 and are; currently
taking refuge at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Pulka
and Maiduguri, the state capital.
Nicholas in a statement of Deputy Director Public Relations of Theatre
Command Operations, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed this on Thursday
in Maiduguri.
According to him, troops successfully cleared and dismantled
insurgents’ camps in the four villages within the remaining parts of
Sambisa Forest.
He said the clearance and reclaim operations, progressed further into
the destruction terrorists’ camps at Chikideh and Chinene.
“The troops ferociously engaged and cleared pockets of resistance by
the insurgents, killing five of them in the encounter,” said Nicholas.
He further disclosed: “However, as troops exploited further in pursuit
of the insurgents as they fled, one of the combat vehicles was rammed
into by a terrorists’ Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device
(VBIED).Two officers were injured in the vehicle.
“The wounded officers were promptly evacuated for medical attention by
the Battle Group medial team. Regrettably, we lost two gallant
officers yesterday afternoon.”
He said troops have since reorganized to continue with Operation Deep
Punch II.
He assured Nigerians of the military’s commitments to the successful
completion of counter-insurgency operation in the region.
