Olusegun Ariyo
Boko Haram terrorists have ambushed troops of the Nigerian military in Baga, at the fringes of Lake Chad, resulting in the missing of an unspecified number of personnel.
According to the personnel of the armed forces, who spoke to Channels Television in anonymity, the soldiers were ambushed while trying to recover the dead bodies of 40 residents killed by the insurgents, adding that several soldiers were shot dead in the gun battle that ensued.
“Our troops went in search of dead bodies of civilians killed by the terrorists, we went too far in search of them and the terrorists ambushed us, a combined team of the armed forces, including civilians.
“There was an exchange of fire, they killed some of our soldiers.
“We are yet to ascertain the number because the dead bodies are yet to be collected and some soldiers are still returning to base, so we are yet to know the number of deaths,” the military source said.
Urban Express News Online recalls that suspected terrorists of the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, launched a deadly attack on Sunday Killing scores of the Famers in Kubwa Local Government Area of Borno State.
A civilian source in Baga also told Channels Television that about 50 civilians went to recover the dead bodies of those killed yesterday but only one person has returned so far.
The source said the 50 men included a civilian joint task force, local hunters and some other young men.
“About 50 villagers mobilized and went out to recover the dead bodies of the villagers that were killed by Boko Haram terrorists and then the terrorists ambushed them.
“They killed several people, but we don’t know the number yet because one person has returned to the village, we are awaiting others.
“I don’t know the casualty on the side of the military, as such I cannot talk about it, but the civilians include civilian joint taskforce members, hunters and vigilantes,” the local source said.
The incident was said to have occurred on Tuesday in Baga after an attack that killed forty residents.
There was an attack in Gwoza which resulted in the death of six people, five of them are said to be repentant insurgents, civilian joint task force and hunters.
