Army Commander, 4 Others Killed in Borno

The Nigerian Army said 14 Boko Haram members and five soldiers were killed after Boko Haram militants attacked a military location in the northern part of Borno State.

A statement by the Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, said at about 10.00pm of Friday, suspected Boko Haram members attacked a 119 Battalion Nigerian Army location at Mallam Fatori area of Borno State.

He said the troops fought gallantly and repelled the attack, killing 14 Boko Haram militants.

Usman said: “Unfortunately, we lost an officer and four soldiers, while four other soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries during the encounter.”

He added that: “One of those killed in action was Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali, the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion.”

Usman said: “It will be recalled that because of the late senior officer’s exceptional bravery and gallantry, he was given an accelerated promotion from the rank of Major to Lieutenant Colonel and was decorated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai at Gamboru Ngala on September 9, 2015 during an operational visit.”

He said: “So far, the troops have recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), seven AK-47 rifles and a large quantity of ammunition. Mopping up and exploitation are ongoing.”