Residents, two soldiers die as Boko Haram attacks Borno town

An attack by Boko Haram terrorists has left some residents killed in Ajiri town in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, confirmed the attack on the town in a statement on Monday, but he did not give the actual number of locals killed by the terrorists.

He noted that insurgents on a criminal mission carried out the attack on Ajiri in Konduga Local Government Area (LGA) of the state on Sunday.

Yerima added that the terrorists burned nine houses in parts of the town before they were engaged by the troops of Operation Hadin Kai deployed in the area.

“The retreating terrorists went away with various degrees of gunshot injuries while the gallant troops are on their chase.

“Unfortunately, however, two personnel paid the supreme price in the resulting encounter,” said the army spokesman who did not state whether any of the insurgents was killed by the soldiers.

He explained that the attack on Ajiri came a day after troops successfully thwarted an attempt by the terrorists to infiltrate Rann – a town that serves as the headquarters of Kala Balge LGA of the state.

The terrorists, in their numbers, were said to have attempted to disrupt the peace in the border town on Saturday last week.

They were, however, met with stiff resistance as the soldiers in the area took them on a fierce firefight that lasted about an hour.

Following the gunfight, the insurgents withdrew in disarray with a large number of them suffering fatal injuries, leaving behind several weapons and ammunition.

Yerima listed some of the items recovered by the troops to include an anti-aircraft gun barrel, an AK 47 rifle, a hand-held communication radio, and different calibres of ammunition, among others.

In his reaction, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, commended the troops for their resilience and determination to keep their areas free of terrorist activities.

He also urged them not to be distracted by the progress made but to sustain the renewed vigour in discharging their duties.