Nigerian soldiers kill 70 insurgents in Borno air raid

Over 70 suspected Boko Haram terrorists, who participated in separate attacks on Chuha I, Chuha II and Korogilim villages of Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State last weekend, have been killed in an air raid, with support from ground troops of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, sources and residents have said.

This came on a day a suicide bomber blew himself and seven others up at Kano School of Hygiene Technology along Gida Murtala-BUK road yesterday, while 20 persons sustained life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, said it had mobilised emergency services to the site of the Kano bomb blast.

It would be recalled that more than 40 people, including teenagers, were killed weekend when suspected Islamist militants, otherwise known as Boko Haram, attacked three villages in Chibok, razed down houses, shops and vehicles before carting away foodstuffs and livestock.

It was gathered from reliable sources that with the quick intervention of the military on ground and airstrikes, over 70 of the terrorists, who were fleeing towards Sambisa Forest after the onslaught on innocent villagers, were killed.

A resident’s tale

A resident of Korogilim, one of the villages that suffered the deadly attacks, Mr. Joshua Yakubu in a telephone call, confirmed the incident, which he said took place on Sunday morning. He said the terrorists, who were moving in a convoy, were attacked by military operatives while attempting to flee after their deadly mission in three Chibok communities.

The resident said: “I want to inform you that we are happy with the gallant effort displayed by the military for quick intervention which led to the killing of dozens of terrorists who wreaked havoc in our communities over the weekend as almost all of them were wiped out.

“Initially, when we started hearing sounds of explosions on the outskirt of our villages, we thought the end of the world had come. We later confirmed that the explosions were from troops targeting fleeing terrorists that attacked and killed many of our people.

“I was among those that took courage and visited the scene of the bombardment yesterday, where we saw many dead and mangled bodies of the terrorists lying on the ground and hanging from tree branches and shrubs.

“In fact, they were more than a hundred dead bodies. The food items they looted during the attacks were scattered all over the scene. People are trooping in to see things for themselves.”

Confirming the killing of the terrorists in a text message yesterday, Director, Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said: “Yes, it happened.”