EXCLUSIVE: At least 105 Nigerian soldiers missing after fierce gun battle with Boko Haram
According to one of our sources,
the terrorists also captured a T-72 tank as well as several artillery weapons
from the unit.
“They captured a T-72 tank from
the unit and some artillery weapons were also captured. The commanding Officer
(CO) of the battalion is yet to be seen but no one has been confirmed dead
yet,” the source added.
Another source however said the
T-72 tank was recovered after a prolonged fight with Boko Haram insurgents. The
gunner and tank commander were injured in the process, he said.
Also reportedly captured by the
insurgents were eight vehicles, a truck loaded with 60,000 rounds of AA
ammunition and three artillery pieces.
Similarly, soldiers of the
Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) stationed at Baga, Borno State also
recently came under attack. The attack occurred in Geringiwa at about four
kilometres to the headquarters of MNJTF, PREMIUM TIMES has also been told.
According to a source, the
military has been unable to completely clear the insurgents from Baga and
nearby towns due to inadequate equipment.
Our source explained that the
equipment recently provided by the military hierarchy were inadequate and were
not enough to go round to all units involved in the war against the insurgents.
Boko Haram carried out a series
of mass killings in Baga between January 3 and January 7, 2015, after the army
headquarters there was sacked by the insurgents.
Although the military later
liberated the town, soldiers stationed in the area have come under constant
attacks from the insurgents.
Also on Sunday, Boko Haram
insurgents attacked advancing soldiers about four hours drive to Damasak, in
Borno state.
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES,
the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman, a colonel, directed
enquiries on the matter to officials of 7 Division, Maiduguri.
But the spokesperson of the
Army’s 7 Division,Tukur Gusau, also wouldn’t comment on the matter, saying the
commander of the division would hold a press conference on the issue today
(Thursday) and that it was not proper for him to pre-empt his commanding
officer.
The attacks on the military came
on the heels of the suicide attacks on Yola and Kano respectively.
After a lull of several weeks,
the recent spike in attacks on military and civilian targets suggests the
insurgents might have regrouped after coming under heightened attacks from the
Nigerian military.
The Nigerian military has claimed
series of victories over the militants in recent weeks.
On Monday, the army claimed that
it captured and destroyed a factory where the group makes rockets and Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs).
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