The Nigerian Army has confirmed a fresh attack on its Forward Operating Base, FOB Kangar located at Mallam Fatori in Borno State.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI confirmed the attack in a statement on Tuesday.
He said the coordinated terrorist attack, which occurred early hours of Tuesday, was successfully thwarted.
Sani noted that members of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, involved in the use of armed drones and mortar fire targeting the defensive positions of the base.
According to him, troops “reinforced by the Main Force from the Battalion under Sector 3, displayed exceptional gallantry and tactical superiority to defeat the assault”.
“Despite the initial use of drones and indirect fire, the troops held their ground, engaging the terrorists in a fierce firefight supported by close air support from the Nigerien Fighter Ground Attack platforms.
“The terrorists, overwhelmed by the superior firepower and coordination of the joint force, retreated in disarray into the waterways of the Tumbuns, evacuating several of their casualties”.
He said a post-battle exploitation of the area confirmed that about six members of the terrorist groups were neutralized by the troops.
Several weapons including Five AK-47 rifles; Eight AK-47 rifle magazines; 258 rounds of 7.62mm x 39 ammunition; Five RPG bombs; Four armed drone bombs; Five 36-type hand grenades; Two bandoliers and One Android phone were recovered from the terrorists.
The army further confirmed that a follow-on air interdiction by the Nigerian Air Force in conjunction with the Nigerien Air Force on the retreating terrorists, led to the neutralization of additional scores of the miscreants.
“A few personnel of the Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI and some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries during the engagement. They have since been evacuated by Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) platforms for medical attention and are all in stable condition.
“The MNJTF also provided Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) support to enhance situational awareness for the ground troops”, the statement added.