5 soldiers reportedly killed in surprise attack in Yobe

Five soldiers of the Nigerian Army were reportedly killed by Boko Haram terrorists after a daring attack on a military base in Yobe State on Saturday, December 30, 2017.

According to a report by The Guardian, a security source revealed that five soldiers were killed while 30 others remain missing.

According to Bukar, an eyewitness, the terrorists had dressed like soldiers and passed through the town without touching anybody.

He said, "We thought they were soldiers because everything about them was like soldiers, their dressing, their vehicles, everything. They passed through the town but did not touch anybody. They went straight to the military base. Then we started hearing heavy gunshots."

Even though the army confirmed that there was an attack on troops on Saturday, it denied that any soldier was killed.

While responding to the incident on Monday, January 1, 2018, spokesman of 3 Division, Nigerian Army, in Damaturu, Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, said, "Yes, there was an attack on our troops two days ago by Boko Haram terrorists in Kannama town. It was, however, repelled. Our soldiers are in hot pursuit of the fleeing insurgents."

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Boko Haram menace

Since the insurgency of the terrorist group escalated after a 2009 crackdown by the military, Boko Haram, chiefly under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million scattered across Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps across the country and its neighbours.

After a massive military operation resulted in the displacement of the group from its primary base in the infamous Sambisa Forest, it has resorted to suicide bomb attacks on soft targets and carried out daring attacks on military bases, with hundreds of captives still unaccounted for.