By Editor
Armed terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP raided the 3 Battalion, a military formation in Rann—the headquarters of Kala Balge—and another base in Gajiram town of Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno State.
Rann, located in Borno Central about 200 km from Maiduguri and bordering the Republic of Cameroon, and Gajiram in Borno North, approximately 82 km from the state capital, were both attacked in the coordinated raid.
The renewed violence has drawn strong condemnation from Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, following a series of attacks by Boko Haram/ISWAP on communities and security formations, leaving several people dead and others injured.
Sources revealed that during the attack on the military formation in Rann, five soldiers were killed, while six others sustained injuries. In Gajiram, troops reportedly offered tactical resistance and repelled the assault, forcing the terrorists to retreat.
The simultaneous attacks, which occurred around midnight on Tuesday, came just hours after another group of insurgents stormed a military base in Marte, killing several soldiers and looting arms and ammunition.
A reliable resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told our correspondent that the terrorists, armed with heavy and sophisticated weapons, nearly overran the Rann base before troops of Operation Hadin Kai fought back.
“The Rann attack on the military formation left five soldiers dead, while six were wounded in action,” said another anonymous source.
Both Rann and Gajiram have suffered repeated Boko Haram attacks in recent times, often with minimal resistance.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from military authorities were unsuccessful as of press time.
It will be recalled that the Senate Chief Whip and Senator representing Borno North recently raised an alarm, urging the Federal Government and security agencies to convene an emergency national security summit to address the escalating violence in the North East and other parts of the country.
