Four vigilantes have been killed and four soldiers declared missing after terrorists attacked a military base in Mayenti, a town in the Bama local government area of Borno state.
The attack occurred a day after the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) posted a video of the execution of Samaila Uba, a Nigerian Army Brigadier-General.
On Monday night, security sources told our reporter that ISWAP fighters rode on motorcycles into Mayenti in an attempt to overrun the facility.
The town, located near Dara Jamal, the scene of a massacre that claimed over 60 lives in September, is a hotspot of terrorist activities.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai repelled the insurgents, killing several terrorists. However, four civilian joint task force members were also confirmed dead after the battle.
While retreating, the ISWAP terrorists burned two trucks belonging to the Borno State Ministry of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Resettlement and killed four labourers.
The assault came hours after the Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Aneke, left Borno, and shortly after the release of the video of Mr Uba’s killing.
The general, who had escaped a terrorist ambush Saturday, lost contact with his troops while awaiting a rescue mission. Unfortunately, the terrorists found and killed him.
Borno state governor, Babagana Zulum, had urged the federal government to procure more drones and adopt technology-driven surveillance to fight the insurgents.
He similarly challenged the military to run coordinated attacks on the insurgents when he received the new Chief of Air Staff last Monday.
He called for a coordinated military approach involving the Air Force, Navy, and Army that targets the Lake Chad area, especially Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains.
He similarly called on the federal government to increase funding for the military and the Multi-National Joint Task Force, and urged Nigerians to unite in ending the insurgency.
(Premium Times)
