Troops of Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI under the 21 Special Armoured Brigade have successfully foiled an attack planned by Boko Haram terrorists around Kashimri general area of Bama Local Government Area, Borno State.
The Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Appolonia Anele, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
According to her, the troops had successfully located and destroyed identified Boko Haram camps in the area, thereby frustrating the terrorists’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socio-economic activities in the area.
In an ensuing firefight, troops neutralised several of the terrorists, while others were left with various degrees of injuries.
Sadly, however, the Commanding Officer, 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and a few other valiant soldiers paid the supreme price, as they fell in battle.
“These brave heroes fought for the peace of our great nation, and their legacies shall endure forever. The Nigerian Army will continue to honor the weight of their sacrifices as their loss comes with the reminder of our unyielding resolve to stamp out the scourge of terrorism from our great nation, Nigeria”, the statement said.
Meanwhile the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the departed, who he said were “not just soldiers but fathers, brothers, and sons who expressed immeasurable courage by taking the last stand in the face of adversity”.
The Army Staff also reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resolve to pursue all terrorist elements relentlessly until total peace and normalcy are restored in the region and the nation by extension.
The NA further advised members of the public and the media to kindly refrain from sharing or publishing images of personnel who have paid the supreme price during operations generally until their next of kin may have been duly informed.
The Service said this is to preserve the dignity of such fallen heroes and to protect the privacy of their families.
