The Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Air Task Force on Sunday 20 June 2021, killed 20 insurgents camping around Wartek in the general area of Lambom Forest in Borno State in northern Nigeria.
The spokesman of the Nigerian army, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a statement on Monday in Abuja that the troops of Sector 2 Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI inflicted heavy casualty on the insurgent who are members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorist groups.
He explained that the troops, acting on credible intelligence, and with close air support from the Nigerian Air Task Force component swiftly carried out a simultaneous land and air offensive, penetrating deep into the Lambom forest.
“The troops overran the position of the terrorists with a heavy volume of fire from both land and air, killing over 20 insurgents,”
According to him, the troops captured heavy fire weapons and arms, including three Anti Aircraft Guns, three AK 47 Rifles, and two Gun Trucks, aside from two other Gun Trucks that were destroyed by the troops.
He said that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General Faruk Yahaya has congratulated the troops for the successful conduct of the operation and enjoined them to sustain the ongoing offensive under Operation HADIN KAI, until the insurgents are completely surmounted.
He reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army under his leadership to bring terrorism and insurgency to an end in the North East of the country.
The army spokesman also disclosed that troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) deployed at the Forward Operational Base (FOB) of 152 Battalion, Kumshe in Borno State had on Sunday, foiled an attempted attack by Boko Haram terrorists.
He said that the terrorists mounted on four gun trucks and several motorcycles attempted to infiltrate and attack the camp through the northern part of the troops’ deployment, but were met with fierce fire by the highly alert troops, resulting in the instant killing of six terrorists.
According to him, the troops, who remained dogged and sustained heavy gunfire on the terrorists during the encounter, routed and forced the terrorists to flee in total disarray, leading to the capture of six AK 47 Rifles, one handheld grenade, assorted drugs, and other first aid items.
GIK/APA