The Nigeria Armed Forced today succesfully repelled Boko Haram insurgents who attacked a military location in Maiduguri in an attempt to free their colleagues who are being held in detention facilities in the Borno State capital, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said.
“Pockets of terrorists apparently in a move to boost their depleted stock of fighters this morning attacked a military location in Maiduguri with a view to freeing their colleagues who are being held in detention,” Director of Defence Information, Major General A. C. Olukolade said in a press statement today.
According to the statement: “The attack has been successfully repelled with heavy human casualty on the terrorists. Some of the victims of the terrorists’ fire in their efforts to break into the detention facility, included those they came to rescue. Many of the terrorists and their weapons have been captured. Four soldiers were wounded and are being treated. Hot pursuits by land and air operations are ongoing along with cordon and search of surrounding localities.
“No institution has been reported attacked, although the effect of firing from the encounter could be noticed in surrounding facilities in Maiduguri. Details will be given later.”
“It is believed that this terrorists attempt is in response to the intensity of attacks on their strongholds in camps at Talala, Monguzum, Sambisa forests, Gwoza, Mandara mountains as well as the general area of Lake Chad. The camps have been destroyed and many insurgents killed,” it stated.