No fewer than 24 terrorists that attempted an attack on a military base in Rann, a town ravaged by insurgency, in Borno State have been neutralised by the Nigerian military troops in the North-East region.
However, reports said two military officers and five soldiers were among the casualties of the crossfire that ensued between the troops of Operation Hadin Kai and the terrorists.
Reports said one of those lost in Thursday’s battle was an Officer Commanding Military Base in Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State (name withheld).
The terrorists are suspected members of the ‘Islamic State’s West African Province’ (ISWAP) extremist sect that has joined their Boko Haram counterparts in wreaking havoc across the Northeast zone of the country.
A military intelligence source disclosed that the armed terrorists stormed the town on several gun trucks and engaged the military in a fierce gun battle but could not subdue the gallant troops, during the crossfire.
“At the last count this morning, we recovered 24 of their dead bodies killed in the gun battle, while the rest fled with injuries. We also recovered huge sophisticated weapons apart from their gun trucks that were completely destroyed by airstrikes”, the source said.
According to some sources close to the Nigerian Military, the lack of telecommunication networks in the area delayed the dissemination of information that could have aided possible reinforcement for the fighting troops.
Rann shares borders with the Cameroon Republic located east and about 175 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, which continues to suffer a series of attacks from the Boko Haram terrorists.
The incident is coming barely 24 hours after another set of insurgents laid ambush along Chibok-Damboa Road, which is under construction by the Borno State Government.
In that attack, the terrorists abducted six staff of the Ministry of Works on duty, as well as 15 other persons.
A police officer, ASP Teru, and some staff working with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) were also abducted.
As the yuletide approaches, the insurgents have, in the last couple of weeks, been unrelenting with a series of attacks and abductions of passengers and motorists, especially along the Maiduguri-Beneshiekh- Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Buratai-Biu Road.
On Thursday’s attack, sources hinted that the terrorists came well prepared, adding; “The insurgents, who were armed with armoured vehicles and anti-aircraft gun trucks, attempted to infiltrate the military base.
“However, they were effectively engaged and repelled by troops, living scores of the insurgents dead with the destruction of their arms, ammunition, and vehicles.
“Unfortunately, a senior Commanding Officer and six other soldiers paid the supreme price.”
Efforts at getting confirmation from the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Sani Shatambaya, were unsuccessful as of press time.
But a reliable security source, who confirmed the incident, claimed that normalcy had since been restored in Rann early on Friday morning. – With PRNigeria and Vanguard reports
