Troops on clearance patrol at Guro Gongon
village and environs killed several insurgents during an ambush by Boko
Haram terrorists on Friday.
However, about 19 soldiers and three
civilian members of the Joint Taskforce were wounded in action while a
few others were missing in action, the army said in a statement by its
spokesman, Col. Sani Usman.
It stated that the wounded soldiers had
been evacuated and were responding to treatment, while a search and
rescue party, comprising of Special Forces personnel, had since been
dispatched to establish contact with the missing-in-action troops.
It said some of those who were missing in action had started returning to their defensive location.
“It is pertinent to state that no stones
would be left unturned until every person involved in the operation has
been accounted for,” it said.
The statement explained that troops
destroyed the terrorists’ makeshift camps and recovered quite a number
of weapons, equipment and foodstuff in the process.
Items recovered include one gun truck
mounted with an anti-aircraft gun, a MOWAG Armoured Personnel Carrier,
one Rocket-Propelled Grenade Tube, one Light Machine Gun, three AK-47
rifles and motorcycles.
Meanwhile, the acting Inspector-General
of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has directed the commissioners of police in
Imo and Kogi states to ensure proper coordination of security operations
and adequate deployment of police personnel for the conduct of the
rerun senatorial elections in Imo North Senatorial District and Kogi
East Senatorial District of the states coming up on July 23, 2016.
The security arrangements put in place
will also cover the Houses of Assembly rerun elections taking place on
the same date in the two states.
As part of the measures aimed at
guaranteeing a hitch-free and credible electioneering process during the
elections, the Inspector-General of Police has approved the deployment
of additional Police Mobile Force personnel, Counter-Terrorism Units and
conventional policemen from neighbouring states to be deployed in all
identifiable flash/vulnerable points and other strategic locations
within the senatorial districts where the rerun elections would hold.
A statement by the police Spokesman,
Donald Awunah, on Friday, said the commissioners of police in the two
states were under strict instructions from the IG to provide adequate
security for electoral officials, election materials, the electorate,
election observers and other individuals and bodies that have statutory
roles to play in the conduct of the elections at the polling booths,
collation centres and at the offices of the Independent National
Electoral Commission throughout the election period.
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