By ZAGAZOLA MAKAMA

Fresh information emerging from the third scene of Friday?s failed terrorist attack on troops in Damboa, Borno State, has revealed that the Nigerian Air Force airstrike inflicted more significant damage on ISWAP fighters than initially reported.

Credible local and military sources told Zagazola Makama that at least 20 additional bodies were evacuated by the terrorists under the cover of darkness on Saturday night from the general area of the airstrike.

According to impeccable sources familiar with the incident, the terrorists used push carts and vehicles to remove the corpses in haste.

?After the initial engagement, we counted over 21 dead, but by last night, several more bodies were seen being pulled out from the bush and farms. Some were scattered, badly burned or dismembered,? a source familiar with the mop-up operation said.

This brings the total number of confirmed terrorist fatalities to at least 41, following the coordinated counteroffensive by troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), who had repelled a major Boko Haram/ISWAP assault on the 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa.

The Friday attack saw fierce ground resistance by the troops, supported by Close Air Support from the Air Component, which deployed precision strikes on enemy positions. The airstrikes reportedly caught the insurgents in their advance formation, resulting in heavy casualties and forcing them to retreat in disarray.

The strikes dropped In four different places and all scoring a devastating hit against three ISWAP terrorists.

In the aftermath, troops recovered significant arms and ammunition, including General Purpose Machine Guns, AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Military sources said intelligence reports indicated that ISWAP leadership in the Lake Chad axis had directed a recovery mission late Saturday to retrieve bodies of fallen fighters in a bid to maintain morale and obscure the extent of the loss from their rank and file.

Efforts are ongoing to confirm the identities of the neutralised insurgents, while surveillance has been intensified to prevent further regrouping. (Zagazola)