Soldiers, civilians feared dead in fresh Boko Haram attack
An unspecified number of Nigerian soldiers and civilians remain missing after Boko Haram terrorists ambushed troops in Baga, near the Lake Chad region, on Tuesday.
The attack occurred as the military attempted to recover the bodies of 40 residents killed in an earlier assault by the insurgents.
A military source, speaking anonymously, revealed that the ambush occurred during an intense gun battle.
“Our troops went in search of dead bodies of civilians killed by the terrorists. We went too far in search of them, and the terrorists played ambush on us. A combined team of the armed forces, including civilians, was involved.
“There was an exchange of fire. They killed some of our soldiers. We are yet to ascertain the number because the dead bodies are yet to be collected, and some soldiers are still returning to base, so we are yet to know the number of deaths,” the source said.
A local source in Baga reported that 50 civilians, including members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), hunters, and vigilantes, mobilised to recover the bodies of the slain villagers were ambushed.
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“About 50 villagers went out to recover the dead bodies of the villagers killed by Boko Haram terrorists, and then the terrorists ambushed them. They killed several people, but we don’t know the number yet because only one person has returned to the village. We are awaiting others,” the source explained.
The incident followed another Boko Haram attack in Gwoza, where six people were killed, including five reportedly repentant insurgents, CJTF members, and hunters.
The ambush highlights the ongoing challenges faced by security forces and local communities in countering the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram in the region.
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