By DAVID IORJA and PAUL ADAJI (Abuja) –
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed “profound grief and sorrow’’ over the loss of soldiers who were ambushed by terrorists in Gorgi Village, Borno State.
In a statement issued in Abuja Tuesday evening by his Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, the President said “sacrifices of our gallant patriots cannot be quantified, and their sacrifices cannot go in vain,’’ while commiserating with their families and those that sustained injuries.
Nigerian Soldiers
According to the statement, the President said the death of every soldier causes deep pains because he knows what it means to be a soldier, and fully understands the extreme risks associated with the profession.
President Buhari said “despite the tragedies and incidents, we cannot allow anarchists and mass murderers to hold the country hostage.’’
The President appealed to the military “not to allow the incident to affect their morale’’. He assured that his administration will continue to motivate and equip them adequately in order to cope with the complex challenges of unconventional warfare.
The Nigerian Army has dispatched a team to assess the situation and report back to the government.
… Fighter jets bombard terrorists after ambush
Suspected local informants were alleged to have leaked movements of Nigerian troops to Boko Haram terrorists after a successfully military operation in Alagarno axis of Borno State, PRNigeria said on Tuesday.
According to the online magazine, the terrorists used the information provided by their local collaborators to stage an ambush and shot at military logistics trucks conveying fuels and ammunitions in the area.
The attack on the trucks triggered massive explosions that led to the death of 47 gallant troops of the Nigerian military.
Reacting to the development at an emergency press briefing, the Coordinator of Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major-General John Enenche said that between 21 and 23 March 2020, troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, were on clearance and fighting patrol operation to Gorgi in Borno State which was successfully done.
“However during a consolidation operation, they were ambushed by elements of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT).
“Sadly, the Nigerian military suffered some casualties in the unfortunate attack.
“However the Air Component of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE scrambled immediately and provided Close Air Support to the ground troops.
“While the Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform as well as the fighter jets engaged the Boko Haram Terrorists immobilising killing some of the terrorists and immobilizing a gun truck. Some others who attempted to withdraw, were also mopped up by the jets in follow-on attacks.
“The Defence Headquarters commiserate with the families of our fallen gallant heroes who paid the supreme price in the course of defending our fatherland.
“We assure Nigerians that the Armed forces and other security agencies in furtherance of the objective of restoring peace and security in the North East and other parts of the country will continue to sustain the offensive against the enemies of our nation.”
Meanwhile, a video shows an assemblage of Boko Haram terrorists and their locations before they were bombarded and total obliterated by the air component of the operation lafiya dole.
(With additional report by PRNigeria)
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