Eight Nigerian soldiers, including an officer, have been killed by Boko Haram insurgents during an attack on a military base in Sasawa town of Damaturu Local Government Area in Yobe State.
A top security source, who preferred to be unnamed, confirmed to Channels Television on Wednesday via phone that eight soldiers including an officer and a civilian were killed, while several others were injured in the attack which took place on Tuesday.
“I can authoritatively confirm to you that there was an attack at dawn yesterday at Sasawa and eight military personnel, including an officer as well as a civilian, were killed during the raid,” he said.
“The insurgents overran the military base having come with seven gun trucks and took the soldiers on guard unawares.”
The source further revealed that several soldiers were still missing at the time of taking stock of the destruction.
The spokesman for 3 Division, Nigerian Army base in Damaturu, Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, who also confirmed the attack, said casualty was recorded on both sides.
He said although details were still sketchy, the troops on ground were prompt as the attack was successfully repelled.
A Sasawa resident, Lawan Adamu, however, claimed that many security personnel may have been killed during the incident which he said was a coordinated attack on the military base.
He called on the military authorities to urgently make a move to bust the terrorists’ hideouts, saying they are not far from the town.
Adamu said, “I am afraid many of the soldiers may have been killed because the insurgents laid siege for very long time.
“We have been telling the military about the existence of these guys and their hideouts but they have been treating it with kid gloves.”
Sasawa is a rural community located in the northern part of Damaturu and has remained without the services of the mobile communication networks vandalised by the insurgents for over five years.
The area was long under the control of the insurgents before it was recaptured by the security forces who established a base in the town since it was regained.
The base has continued to experience attacks by the insurgents as Tuesday’s attack was the fourth in the year 2017.
