Troops of 114 Task Force Battalion of 28 Task Force Brigade in conjunction with members of vigilante group in an effort to keep the roads open and secure, on Sunday June 19, carried out a clearance operation along Bitta-Damboa axis of Borno State.

The Nigerian Army said troops carried out the patrol from Bitta up to junction point at Gambori village in Borno State. During the operation, the troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists at Bulajani village and successfully cleared and pursued the fleeing terrorists in the area.

A statement signed by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman confirmed that five soldiers were wounded in the process and their Buffalo vehicle was badly damaged. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to 23 Brigade medical facility in Yola for further treatment. However, the troops also killed four Boko Haram terrorists while an unconfirmed number escaped with gunshot wounds.

The patrol team also recovered six bicycles and food storage facility laden with foodstuffs. They also discovered and safely detonated one Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Madube village.

According to the Army spokesman, troops of 22 Brigade Garrison accompanied by Civilian JTF also carried out patrol at Albanya village and its environs along Dikwa-Marte axis. The troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists at Sinabaya village which is left of Marte-Kaje road in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State. During the encounter, they killed three and apprehended 11 Boko Haram terrorists.

Usman said the patrol team also recovered one AK-47 rifle with registration number N37113 and five AK-47 rifle magazines. Other items recovered from the terrorists include 36 hand grenades, three rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, four motorcycles, three bicycles, one magazine pouch and one mobile telephone handset. The arrested terrorists have been moved to the Brigade Headquarters for preliminary interrogation and subsequent handing over to the Joint Interrogation Committee.

“Similarly,” the Army said, “another patrol team from the same unit in conjunction with some elements of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps picketed Dikwa-Mafa-Maiduguri road in order to keep it open and safe against Boko Haram terrorist activities. The same team also escorted International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian materials from Maiduguri to Dikwa and Gamboru Ngala Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in collaboration with troops of 7 Division Garrison. There are 68, 653 IDPs at Dikwa camp that comprised of 31, 296 males and 37, 356 females.”

•Photo shows Nigerian troops on duty against Boko Haram.