Soldiers kill 11 insurgents, apprehend others attempting to escape to Cameroon

BY UMAR YUSUF

Abuja—The military said yesterday that 11 terrorists were killed when the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun duel while some of them were apprehended as they attempted to escape to Cameroon through Taraba and Adamawa borders.

The Director, Defence Information and Coordinator of Joint Information Centre, Counter terrorism Campaign Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday
said the insurgents were attacked by troops on patrol of the areas in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

Suspected terrorists arrested while attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti, Adamawa State.

According to him, “the terrorists were trapped following the ongoing offensive launched by troops along the borders. Some of them could no longer bear the hunger in their make-shift camps at the forest. Those apprehended led the troops to some hideouts where fierce fighting ensued and seven terrorists died, while Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, rifles and 70 motorcycles were recovered.”

The director said “a similar encounter in Gumbi also led to the death of four other terrorists.”

He added that sustained patrols and searches by the Joint Task Force had led to the arrest of more insurgents, including a heavily armed suspect, who claimed dual nationalities of Chad and Burkina-Faso. Olukolade said the suspect was arrested with different calibre of arms along the Chad border.

The defence spokesman said members of the task force were patrolling areas around the Lake Chad, including Kwatan, Kanwa, Kwatan Yobe and other areas to apprehend more of the insurgents.
In a related development, fear has gripped Yola, the Adamawa State Capital following the discovery of  102 live ammunitions and two guns tucked in the perimeter fence of Damare Secondary School in Damere Ward of Yola, South Local Government Adamawa State.

The development has created anxiety among residents who said they sleep with their two eyes open following the intensification of armed robbery in Yola and environs in recent times despite the state of emergency and curfew imposed in the town.

The weapons were discovered by children who were playing around the area according to eyewitnesses.
“Some children who were playing around the area spotted the ammunitions tucked deeply inside the block holes and quickly raised alarm”, a resident stated.

According to him, “When residents observed that they were live ammunitions, they called the police who came and demolished the fence leading to the discovery of large number of live ammunitions and guns,” the source said.