1st LD Writethru: 5 soldiers killed by Boko Haram's landmine in Nigeria: army spokesman
Xinhua,June 01, 2018 Adjust font size:
ABUJA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A landmine by terror group Boko Haram has killed five soldiers in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the spokesman of the army said.
The soldiers, driving in a military vehicle, ran on the explosive mine in Gworza area of Borno during a patrol, according to Texas Chukwu, the army spokesman, late Thursday.
Chukwu said the deceased soldiers were part of the 271 Task Force Battalion of the army.
The rest of the troops fought through the ambush and went on to neutralize a number of the terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds, he said.
The troops also rescued nine people held by the terrorists during a clearance operation in six villages in Borno.
The rescued Boko Haram hostages included two aged men, two females and five children.
He said they will be handed over to appropriate Nigerian authorities as soon as they finished receiving medical attention at a military facility.
Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of more than 20,000 people and displacement of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since 2009. Enditem