Nineteen soldiers and three Civilian JTF members were wounded Thursday morning in a Boko Haram ambush while a yet-to-be-revealed number are missing, the Nigerian Army confirmed last night.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the setback was suffered when “troops on clearance patrol at Guro Gongon village and environs to rout out remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating therein” while “returning to their defensive locations, ran into an ambush by a group of Boko Haram terrorists who came to reinforce their fleeing comrades.”

Col. Usman disclosed in a statement that “the gallant soldiers . . . fought back gallantly, killing several of the insurgents. Sadly, however, 19 soldiers and 3 Civilian JTF members were wounded in action while a few others were missing in action.”

He added: “The wounded have been evacuated and are responding to treatment, while a search and rescue party comprising of Special Forces personnel has since been dispatched to establish contact with the missing in action troops, some of whom, as at the time of filing this report, have started returning to their defensive location.

“It is pertinent to state that, no stone would be left unturned until every person involved in the operation has been accounted for.”

The Army Spokesman explained that the operation had been successful before the ambush. The troops, according to him, “destroyed the terrorists’ makeshift camps and recovered quite a number of weapons, equipment and foodstuff in the process. The recovered items include 1 Gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun, a MOWAG Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade Tube, 1 Light Machine Gun, 3 AK-47 rifles and motorcycles.”

•Photo shows Boko Haram terrorists.