BORNO: Army faults AFP report, says troops foil Boko Haram attack on Dikwa

THE Nigerian Army has said troops of Operation Lafiya Dole recorded another feat today by successfully repelling an attack on Dikwa town by Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists.

Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Yerima, in a statement issued today, titled, “Troops repel attempted infiltration of Dikwa town by Boko Haram terrorists,’ said the insurgents suffered heavy casualties in the course of the confrontation as their trucks and other equipment were destroyed.

Yerima said this to debunk the report by AFP that  the jihadists attacked a United Nations base and overran a humanitarian hub, trapping 25 aid workers.

The AFP report said  the insurgents also dislodged troops from the military base and torched the humanitarian hub on Monday.

“We have 25 staff sheltering in the bunker which is under siege by the militants… but so far no staff has been affected,” a humanitarian told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But Yerima in his statement said, “The troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have again proved their mettle by successfully repelling an attack on Dikwa town by Boko Haram terrorists and Islamic State of West Africa Province.

“The terrorists’ groups which stormed the town with gun trucks and motorcycles met with heavy and overwhelming fire/bombardments by troops of 81 Task Force Battalion,112 Task Force Battalion Ajiri and elements of 402 Special Forces Brigade with maximum air support by the Air Task Force Operation Lafiya Dole.

Giving details of the encounter the army noted that  the terrorists’ groups that stormed the town in gun trucks and motorcycles met with heavy and overwhelming fire by troops of 81 Task Force Battalion,112 Task Force Battalion Ajiri, and elements of 402 Special Forces Brigade with “maximum air support” by the Air Task Force Operation Lafiya Dole.

“The terrorists suffered heavy casualties with their gun trucks and other equipment destroyed,” stated Yerima.

The statement said the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru commended the troops for their resilience and doggedness in the fight against insurgency.

“He equally assured all well-meaning members of the society in general and Borno State, in particular, to disregard all forms of malicious reports on social media, and urged them to go about their normal daily activities,” the statement noted.