More details are emerging of a recent military operation by Nigerian soldiers battling Boko Haram fighters in the North-east.
The Nigerian general leading the operations said the insurgents attacked troops he was leading with “15 gun trucks” from different flanks.
“We have been met with very strong resistance from Boko Haram since yesterday. They are more than pockets of insurgents. Today morning, and from every flank, not less than 15 gun trunks faced us. The Boko Haram terrorists fired more than 100 RPGs and mortars on us,” Olusegun Adeniyi, a major-general and theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole said in a video.
PRNigeria, a news agency with close ties to security agencies, said it sourced the video on Sunday morning.
The exact day Mr Adeniyi shot the video was not stated, but PREMIUM TIMES learnt the video was shot about three days ago meaning the attack occurred around Wednesday.
Mr Adeniyi did not also state the exact location where the attack took place in the North-east, but our security source said it was in Borno State.
In the video, Mr Adeniyi said he and other generals led the Nigerian troops to successfully fight off the insurgents.
“Yet, we are not running or fleeing from them. Me and other generals are on the ground. We are good to go. But this is the true situation of things,” he added.
The attack occurred days after the military blamed local informants for the death of about 47 soldiers killed the Boko Haram in Yobe State.
Read the full statement from PRNigeria below.
Amid reports that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OLD) retreated and fled after Boko Haram insurgents launched multiple attacks in North-East a few days ago, the Commander of the Theatre, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, said both officers and soldiers of the three battalions deployed to neutralize the terrorists are still on the ground.
Gen. Adeniyi, in one of the short videos obtained by PRNigeria, on Sunday morning, said though the troops he was leading recorded some casualties, and injuries, they still resisted and gallantly confronted the terrorists.
“We have been met with very strong resistance from Boko Haram since yesterday. They are more than pockets of insurgents. Today morning, and from every flank, not less than 15 gun trunks faced us. The Boko Haram terrorists fired more than 100 RPGs and mortars on us. Yet, we are not running or fleeing from them. Me and other generals are on the ground. We are good to go. But this is the true situation of things,” the Theatre Commander added.
In another short video obtained by PRNigeria, troops counted 27 mangled bodies of terrorists killed in an encounter, while two men suspected to be terrorists’ informants were captured and handcuffed.