At least five Nigerian soldiers have been killed and several others injured following a Boko Haram suicide attack on a military convoy in the Timbuktu Triangle of Borno State, even as troops uncovered a mass grave containing the bodies of about 20 terrorists killed during recent operations in the area.
The attack occurred on Tuesday when a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into a convoy of troops returning from a successful clearance operation that had dislodged several insurgent camps and led to the killing of many terrorists. Security sources said the blast caused extensive damage to armoured and logistics vehicles used in ongoing offensive operations.
Two senior officers, a major and a lieutenant, were among those affected in the incident, although they survived. An officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that five soldiers lost their lives while others sustained injuries.
“Every operation comes with setbacks, but the operation continues. Unfortunately, we lost five soldiers in this incident,” the officer said, adding that the sector commander was safe.
The remains of the fallen soldiers have been flown to Maiduguri, while the injured personnel are receiving medical treatment. The Timbuktu Triangle is a notorious insurgent enclave and was the location where terrorists previously ambushed and killed Brigadier General Musa Uba.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army said troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, uncovered a mass grave containing the bodies of about 20 terrorists killed during sustained military offensives in the same axis.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the discovery followed intense clearance operations across key terrorist strongholds in the Timbuktu Triangle.
He described the mass grave as clear evidence of the heavy casualties being suffered by insurgents during recent encounters with troops. According to him, the find further exposes and discredits propaganda by terrorist groups.
Uba said troops have continued to dominate areas such as Tergejeri, Chiralia, and the Ajigin/Abirma general areas, which have now been cleared and brought under military control. During the operations, soldiers reportedly engaged fleeing terrorists with heavy firepower, neutralising several of them.
He also disclosed that while consolidating positions at a harbour area about six kilometres north of Chilaria, troops encountered two Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs). One was successfully neutralised, but the second breached the defensive position, resulting in casualties.
Despite the losses, the military said clearance and stabilisation operations in the Timbuktu Triangle are ongoing as troops continue efforts to dismantle remaining terrorist networks in the region.
