Nigerian Army denies report of 40 soldiers killed in Borno attacks

The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports claiming that more than 40 soldiers were killed during recent terrorist attacks in Borno State.

The denial was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, Sani Uba.

Uba said the report, which relied on what he described as unverified sources, misrepresented the events surrounding the attacks and the response by troops.

According to him, the attacks occurred when remnants of Boko Haram fighters who had earlier been dislodged from the Sambisa Forest regrouped and launched coordinated night assaults on communities and military positions around Konduga, Ngoshe, Mainok and Jakana.

He said troops responded to the attacks and repelled the insurgents, adding that several terrorists were killed during the confrontations.

Uba, however, confirmed that a commanding officer and some soldiers were killed while confronting the attackers.

He also said the troops were not overrun as claimed in the report but engaged the terrorists in multiple locations to defend the affected communities.

The statement added that the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, had visited the theatre of operations in Maiduguri to assess the situation and review ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.

During the visit, Shaibu reportedly directed the reinforcement of troops and deployment of additional equipment to sustain operations against the insurgents.

The army said coordinated ground and air operations were ongoing to pursue fleeing terrorists and rescue civilians who may have been abducted during the attacks.