In what could be described as an act of brutal revenge following the death of a Nigerian General, troops have eliminated a top-ranking Commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other terrorists at Askira Uba, Borno State.
The ISWAP terrorists had in a reprisal attack over the killing of their members by military jets on Friday, killed Brigadier-General Dzarma Zirkushi, the commander of 28 Task Force Brigade, Chibok alongside three other soldiers, while on their way to reinforce troops at Bungulwa village, near Askira Uba on Saturday.
The Nigerian troops, who had tactically retreated, regrouped, reinforced, and ambushed the ISWAP Commander and eliminated his fighters at Askira Uba axis.
Troops supported by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai had deployed five A – Jet, two A-29, two Dragon combat with which they destroyed nine Gun Trucks and one Armoured Personnel Carrier APC, and one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP), killing scores of insurgents in the encounter.
Over 37 bodies of the insurgents killed on Saturday have been recovered, though troops are still combing surrounding bushes in Askira Uba.
“This morning while we are still mopping the area, we have so far counted 37 corpses of the terrorists, while one of their leaders, a Commander who was arrested for further investigation died in custody this morning.
“We also recovered dozens of sophisticated guns during the clearance operation,” a military source in the Northeast said.
So far, life has returned to normalcy in Askira Uba as the villagers hailed the proactive response of the Nigerian military after the sudden invasion of their community.
