Nigerian troops ambush Boko Haram in Borno,  recover high calibre weapons — Army

Troops of the Nigerian Army, under the 118 Task Force Battalion of the 7th Brigade on Thursday made a major retrieval of high calibre munitions from Boko Haram when they executed an ambush attack on a moving gang of suspected terrorists in the northern part of Borno State, authorities said.

The soldiers, according to a spokesperson for the Army, were able to take possession of one Buffalo Land Cruiser gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft gun, 1,600 rounds of 12.7mm Armour Piercing Incendiary (API) ammunitions, 563 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition for General Purpose Machine Guns and 57 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, after a brief shoot out with the outlawed Islamic group.

Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said most of the terrorists, who were caught off guard by the ambush attack, abandoned their vehicles, and other related logistic supplies as they escaped with bullet wounds.

Mr. Usman’s statement reads:
“Following reliable information about movement of remnants of suspected Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 118 Task Force Battalion, 7 Brigade, laid an ambush for the terrorists today morning”, he said.

“The troops laid the ambush about 3 kilometres away from Goneri town, South West of Kukawa Local Government Area, where they encountered the unsuspecting terrorists in 2 gun trucks and on motorcycles and engaged them. An unconfirmed number of the terrorists escaped with gun shot wounds abandoning 1 Buffalo Land Cruiser gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft gun, 1,600 rounds of 12.7mm Armour Piercing Incendiary (API) ammunitions, 563 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition for General Purpose Machine Guns and 57 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.

“The troops further recovered 1 motorcycle, 7 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), a pair of Nigerien Army uniform, 2 Cameroonian telecommunication service providers SIM cards, as well as a pair of the Boko Haram terrorists Special Forces uniform. They also recovered 1 Samsung Galaxy Tablet and assorted drugs and such as Climax Oxytocin, Tetracyclic HC1 Ointment, Drips and Springe, amongst others.

“Consolidating on this success, the troops are further exploiting the situation while troops of 157 Task Force Battalion are blocking likely escape routes of remnants of the terrorists in Mile 90, Yoyo, Barwati and Kekeno villages”.