Boko Haram insurgents allegedly carried out a fatal ambush in the Lake Chad area of Borno State on Saturday, resulting in the death of an army lieutenant and two vigilante members. Attempts to obtain a reaction from the military high command were unsuccessful at the time of reporting, as calls to Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director, Defence Media Operations, went unanswered, and a text message sent to his line remained unanswered.
Sources indicate that the attack occurred following the recent military takeover of the Boko Haram enclave in Krenowa, Marte LGA, five days prior. This operation was part of the ongoing efforts to advance the fight against the terrorists. During the takeover, soldiers from the 50 Task Force Brigade reportedly faced heavy bombardment in Krenowa, compelling them to withdraw and leave behind 12 out of the 15 motorbikes deployed for the operation.
The soldiers, numbering over a hundred and equipped with various gun trucks and other resources, retreated to Marte town. An Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) tank was damaged during the ambush around 1 am, and the driver escaped with a leg injury. The soldiers engaged the terrorists at their hideout, but an unexpected ambush forced them to retreat. The source suggested that the insurgents might have been hiding underground, catching the soldiers off guard. Seeking refuge at the headquarters of the 27 Task Force in Marte town, the soldiers faced challenges recovering the bodies of the slain officer, a member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), and another vigilante member due to the intense firepower of the insurgents.
