Rejuvenated troops of the Nigerian Army’s 28 task force brigade headquartered in Chibok, Borno state, have repelled an attack by Boko Haram insurgents in Askira/Uba local government area of the state.
The insurgents entered the town through Furfur around 4 pm on Tuesday and started shooting sporadically.
Military sources told newsmen that troops from the 28 task force battalion immediately swung into action, killed many of the insurgents and recovered nine gun trucks from them.
“Troops were put on alert as soon as the information came in. The insurgents came with 11 gun trucks, but the troops repelled the attack and recovered nine of the gun trucks.
“There was also immediate air support from the air force troops who came with a warship helicopter. A number of the insurgents were killed, and others ran away,” one of the sources said.
It is not clear yet if there were casualties on the side of the army, but sources said a soldier was wounded and has been taken to a hospital in Mubi, Adamawa state.
Troops have also been patrolling the area and normalcy has returned.
Mohammed Yerima, the army spokesperson, said the insurgents have been “running for their lives in the forest due to overwhelming pressure and fire by advancing troops in the Timbuktu Triangle as well as the Sambisa Forest and aerial bombardments by the air task force”.
In a statement on Thursday, he said the insurgents are desperate for food, drugs and logistics from soft targets for survival as their camps, routes and enclaves have been destroyed, blocked and manned by troops.
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