25 killed as Army, Boko Haram clash in Borno

No fewer than 25 people suspected to be members of Boko
Haram sect were killed, Thursday, in a clash with troops of
the 7 Division, Nigerian Army at Ngauramari villages of
Bama Local Government Area of Borno state.

Ngauramari is a small farming community along the
Maiduguri- Bama – Firgi-Gwoza federal highway which had
witnessed series of attacks and killing of over 20 motorists
and passengers this week by suspected terrorists.

Our Correspondent gathered that the incident took place at
about 8am on Thursday when some suspected Boko Haram
members, crossing the road from their camps in the Sambisa
Forest exchanged gunfire with troops, with the killing of three
terrorists. Vanguard gathered those who fled from the scene of
the attack were killed by military airstrikes.

Sources said, during the encounter with the military, all roads
leading to the area were closed for over three hours in order to
avoid civilian casualties, particularly motorists and their
passengers who were plying the road as at the time of the
airstrikes.

A commercial driver , Ali Wando who came from Gwoza into
Maiduguri told our correspondent, "I saw three corpses by the
roadside at Ngauramari which were dismembered by the
rocket launcher fired at them by the military when they came
on their tricycle."

"Several other bodies were lying further in the bush but I did
not go to count them because I was afraid, as I believed some
of the insurgents might hiding further in the bush".

Another commercial driver who did not want his name
mentioned for security reason said, " soon after the military
killed the terrorists in Ngauramari, the Nigerian Airforce
fighter jet located some of the suspected terrorists around the
Bama-Firgi-Gwoza river bank, attempting to cross the river
where the fighter jet attacked and killed them."

When contacted on phone, the Spokesman of the 7 Division,
Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole sent a text message
to our Correspondent saying, " I am coming up with a statement on the incident very soon, thanks", but after waiting
for several hours, there was no response from him before this
post.

Culled From Vanguard