The Nigerian Army has recovered the bodies of a commanding officer, a major and seven soldiers killed by Boko Haram insurgents after a deadly ambush in the Damasak area of Borno State.
Security sources told our correspondent that the troops were killed during an attack on Monday while advancing towards a known Boko Haram camp between Damasak and Geidam. Initial reports had suggested that the commanding officer was captured alive alongside 12 others. However, it was later confirmed that the officer, seven soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were executed by the insurgents.
The bodies were recovered on Wednesday following intense ground combat between troops and the terrorists, backed by air support.
According to one of the sources, the insurgents tied the victims’ hands before killing them, while some of the bodies were dumped in nearby water.
“At first, we believed the commanding officer had been taken alive, but further intelligence showed he was killed along with the others. They were executed in cold blood,” the source said.
The source added that the terrorists hid in nearby bushes, anticipating that soldiers would move in to retrieve the bodies. However, reinforcements were deployed to the area and engaged the insurgents before fighter jets forced them to retreat. The recovered bodies were later airlifted to Maiduguri.
Narrating how the ambush unfolded, the source said the insurgents appeared to have prior knowledge of the troops’ movement.
“They were already positioned along our route. Midway into the operation, they encircled the troops and opened heavy fire,” he said.
The incident occurred amid sustained military offensives against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters across several theatres, including the Timbuktu Triangle, Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad basin.
Military sources say recent operations have led to the destruction of insurgent camps and the killing of several senior Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders in hard-to-reach areas.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had yet to release an official statement on the incident, and efforts to obtain comments from its spokesperson were unsuccessful.
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