From Elohor Igbru, Abuja
It was a brutal revenge attack by Nigerian troops as they eliminated a top-ranking Commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other terrorists in a brutal military offensive at Askira Uba, Borno State after the killing of a senior army officer.
The ISWAP terrorists had in a reprisal attack over the killing of their members by military jets on Friday, killed Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkushi, the commander of 28 Task Force Brigade, Chibok alongside three other soldiers, while on their way to reinforce troops at Bungulwa village, near Askira Uba on Saturday.
PRNigeria gathered the Nigerian troops, who had tactically retreated, regrouped, reinforced and ambushed the ISWAP Commander and eliminated his fighters at Askira Uba axis.
A military source confirmed that over 30 bodies of the insurgents killed on Saturday have been recovered, though troops are still combing surrounding bushes in Askira Uba.
The source told PRNigeria that about nine gun trucks, an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) were destroyed or recovered by the Nigerian troops.
“This morning while we are still mopping the area, we have so far counted 37 corpses of the terrorists, while one of their leaders, a Commander who was arrested for further investigation died in custody this morning.
“We also recovered dozens of sophisticated guns during the clearance operation,” he said.
PRNigeria gathered that life has returned to normalcy in Askira Uba as the villagers hailed the proactive response of the Nigerian military after the sudden invasion of their community.
