Nigerian Army mourns Lt-Col, Captain killed by terrorists

The Nigerian Army has mourned soldiers killed during separate attacks by terrorists in Borno State and Katsina State.

Military sources said several soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel and a captain, lost their lives during the clashes, although troops also killed more than 45 terrorists in the operations.

The slain lieutenant colonel was reportedly the commanding officer of a battalion operating in Borno.

In the Katsina incident, Captain Paul Hassan and two other soldiers were killed during a fierce gun battle with terrorists in Danmusa Local Government Area.

The attacks in Borno followed multiple assaults by insurgents on military formations in recent days.

Confirming the development, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said some of the slain soldiers had already been buried.

Uba said the terrorists launched desperate attacks on military locations between about 10:30 p.m. on Thursday and 3:00 a.m. on Friday.

“Regrettably, a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty, including a gallant officer who fought courageously from the front while leading his troops against the attackers,” he said.

The military, however, maintained that troops repelled the assaults and killed several terrorists during the confrontations.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, described the incident as a painful reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers in defending the country.

He said the fallen troops showed courage, loyalty and dedication in the line of duty.

“They were brave, loyal and courageous patriots whose sacrifices will never be forgotten,” Abubakar said, adding that their deaths were a great loss to the army, the armed forces and the nation.

He assured the families of the slain soldiers that all benefits due to the deceased personnel would be processed promptly.

Meanwhile, the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, also condoled with the military over the loss of the troops and praised soldiers for their resilience in protecting the state.

In Katsina, security sources said at least 45 terrorists were killed during the confrontation with troops.

Among those reportedly killed were Iti, said to be the nephew and second-in-command to notorious bandit leader Adamu Alieru, as well as another top bandit identified as Damale.