Boko Haram Kills 40 Soldiers In Borno

At least 40 Nigerian soldiers were killed and 65 others went missing in a deadly ambush by suspected members of the extremist group, Boko Haram, in the sect’s stronghold in Borno state, Premium Times reports.The casualty, one of the heaviest for the military in its campaign against the militant group in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, occurred along the Baga –Maiduguri road on Friday, September 13, in what sources said was a classic case of operational and communication failure.

A detachment of soldiers under the 134 Battalion of the 12 Brigade under the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, stationed in Kangarwa village in Kukawa local government, had conducted a reconnaissance to gather intelligence around the area, during which they established the presence of previously unnoticed Boko Haram camps.

The soldiers returned to their base and filed a report recommending aerial bombardment of the area, preparatory for a ground operation by troops. But that plan was cancelled at the final minute by an unnamed top official without formal communication to the more than 100 troops that had already advanced on the area. The soldiers were trapped in the ambush under heavy fire from the militants who had surrounded the area, leaving at least 40 soldiers killed. Some 65 others have remained missing, our sources said.