Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly ambushed and killed an army lieutenant along with two vigilante members in the Lake Chad area of Borno State on Saturday.
The attack occurred after the military successfully took control of the Boko Haram enclave in Krenowa, Marte Local Government Area, five days earlier.
Sources revealed that the attack on the soldiers from the 50 Task Force Brigade took place at Krenowa, where they encountered heavy bombardment, forcing them to withdraw.
The soldiers had initially advanced to the Boko Haram enclave as part of their efforts to intensify the fight against the terrorists.
The soldiers reportedly faced intense resistance during the engagement, leading to the withdrawal from Krenowa. In the process, they left behind 12 out of 15 motorbikes deployed for the operation.
The soldiers, numbering over a hundred and equipped with multiple gun trucks, retreated to Marte town. An Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) tank was damaged in the ambush, and the driver escaped with a leg injury.
A soldier involved in the operation told Daily Trust, “We took the fight to the terrorists at their hideout when suddenly we came under fire that forced us to retreat. I believe they were hiding underground because there was no sign of them before the ambush. We took shelter at the headquarters of the 27 Task Force in Marte town.”
Due to the intensity of the insurgents’ firepower, the bodies of the slain officer, a member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), and another vigilante member could not be immediately recovered.
