Not fewer than 20 soldiers have been killed and several other injured in an ambush by Boko Haram terrorists on Tuesday in Borno, DailyTrust has reported.
The sad incident happened during an ambush, sources have said.
It was learnt that the incident occurred along Damboa/Maiduguri highway at about 30 kilometers away from Damboa town.
A security source said that the terrorists opened fire on troops which resulted in the deaths of many soldiers.
“It was so sad, our troops went on clearing operations on the way back to Damboa at 30 kilometers away.
“The terrorists laid an ambushed and shot from every angle.
“We lost more than a dozen soldiers.
“The corpses of the soldiers have been evacuated to Maiduguri as well as those who sustained injures.
“They are currently receiving treatment in the military facility,” a security source said.
But, the Defence Headquarters is insisting that that is not what happened.
It said troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, on July 7, eliminated 17 Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents in the ambush.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Wednesday, said that only two soldiers died, while four were wounded in the encounter.
Enenche said the success was recorded by the troops of 25 Task Force Brigade, deployed at Damboa in conjunction with elements of Sector 2 Special Forces, while on clearance operations along the route.
He said the troops outflanked and engaged the criminals with overwhelming volume of firepower, forcing the terrorists to withdraw in disarray.
According to him, in the aftermath of the encounter, 17 Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals were neutralised, while several others were believed to have narrowly escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
He added that cache of arms and ammunition were equally captured by the troops.
“Regrettably, two valiant soldiers paid the supreme price while four others were wounded in action.
“However, the wounded in action soldiers have been evacuated to a military medical facility and currently responding positively to treatment,” he said.
