No fewer than 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed in a dawn attack on a contingent of soldiers from 3 Battalion and 112 Task Force Battalion stationed in Rann, Borno State on Friday.
The troops overpowered the invaders killing 15 on the spot, while the rest took to their heels.
The terrorists were believed to be among those recently dislodged from Sambisa Forest
Military sources said yesterday that the shootout lasted several hours.
Four soldiers were wounded but were subsequently evacuated by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Augusta Helicopter, a recent addition to the NAF’s fleet from the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) to Maiduguri, the state capital.
The attack came a week after President Muhammadu Buhari said Boko Haram fighters had been routed from the forest which had served as their operational base for several years.
A military source in the NAF said: “four wounded soldiers were today evacuated from the battle front in Rann to Maiduguri for medical treatment.”
The wounded soldiers were given first aid treatment aboard the helicopter on the way to Maiduguri by the Air Force personnel.
It was gathered that the NAF responded swiftly to a call for evacuation of the wounded soldiers.
The Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Leo Iraboh said troops began advance on Sambisa Forest Camp Zairo on December 22, 2016 at about 0800hrs with the complementary deployment of Air Force jets and artillery.
The Theater Commander insisted that the Army is in firm control of Sambisa forest despite the video recording posted this week by the elusive Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau denying the claims. Major General Iraboh said the Army is currently pursuing fleeing remnants of the terrorist and would not rest until they are totally routed.
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