The Nigerian military has pushed back on the attack by insurgents who came into Nigeria from Cameroun attacking the Bama Barracks in Borno State last Friday. The attack led to President Goodluck Jonathan holding an emergency meeting with the nation’s security chiefs.
According to a statement released last night by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information, 20 vehicles conveying terrorists were intercepted by the army as they were making their way across the border back into Cameroun.
Read the statement below:
The military operations to track insurgents who carried out the last Friday pre-dawn attacks on Mohammed Kur Barracks, Bama, has led to the destruction of over 20 vehicles conveying escaping terrorists. The vehicles were the ones used during the attack on the barracks and were sited through air surveillance as the terrorists were making efforts to cross the borders back to their haven in Cameroun.
Although a good number of the insurgents escaped with bullet wounds while some have been arrested, over 50 of them died in the course of exchange of fire with ground troops in the ongoing operations to apprehend fleeing terrorists. The military has lost 15 soldiers mostly from the attack while some died during the pursuit. A total of 5 civilians also died during the attack. Intensive cordon and search operations is still ongoing to fish out the insurgents who might be lurking around communities in the area.
Meanwhile, families affected by the attacks have been relocated to other military locations.
