A Nigerian Army lieutenant colonel has been feared killed
in action after Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military formation in Borno
State on Wednesday.
Several casualties, including human and equipment, were
reportedly inflicted on the military during the fire fight.
A lieutenant colonel, who has been leading the battalion as
its commanding officer was pronounced killed.
The Army Headquarters in Abuja was said to have been
alerted to the development, and an emergency team of rescuer had been deployed
to manage the aftermath.
Military sources said the insurgents had since receded to a
remote location around Fuchimiram Village, about six kilometres west of Kareto
where the incident occurred in Mobba LGA.
There were widespread expectations amongst military
personnel that the Nigerian Air Force would scramble available fighter jets to
conduct airstrikes around Fuchimiram Village to neutralise the insurgents
hibernating there, but concerns also remained about whether the operation would
be timely enough for desired result.
The attack coincided with a similar assault on Cameroonian
military by the same Boko Haram wing, leaving several Cameroonian soldiers
killed on their side of the 10-year-long insurgency. Boko Haram claimed credits
for 88 casualties, including dozens of Cameroonian troops, reports said.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Sagir Musa, did not
immediately answer telephone calls seeking comments about the latest attack
that saw a senior military officer and his subordinates killed in action.
The identity of the lieutenant colonel has been withheld to
allow the military enough time to send notice to his relatives. His colleagues
describe him as a gallant officer who led his troops to inflict damage on the
terrorists in the recent past.
The development may likely prompt another reshuffling in
Nigeria’s anti-Boko Haram strategy, coming barely a month after a lieutenant
colonel and commanding officer of the 145 Task Force Battalion was killed in
action.
“The attacks are not going to cease as the terrorists are
desperate,” a military chief disclosed amidst anxiety Thursday night. “There is
urgent need to inform all units in the axes covering Damasak, Mallam Fatori,
Magumeri, Gubio to be on high alert, since insurgents are often emboldened to
launch more attacks during the rainy season.”
Although attacks on military formations have spiked since
July 2018, Nigerian military brass and President Muhammadu Buhari have insisted
the war was nearing its conclusion.
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