No fewer than four soldiers have been confirmed dead and eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries during a separate face-off with terrorists in Katsina State.
The deceased soldiers, who were attached to Operation Hadarin Daji, were killed in Faskari Local Government Area yesterday.
Reacting to our correspondent’s enquiry on Tuesday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-Gen. Edward Buba, clarified that the military recorded four casualties contrary to five reported in the media.
Buba explained that there were two ambushes and that five soldiers in the process of defending territorial integrity of Nigeria sustained minor injuries in the second operation.
He said, “On 12 May 2024, troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI encountered 2 separate ambushes namely at Kuran Mota Village as well as along Road Alikere – Yarmalimai Village in Zamfara State.
“Though troops fought fiercely to extricate themselves from the situation. Sadly, troops recorded casualties of 4 soldiers killed in action, while 3 were wounded in action in the first ambush.
“In the second ambush incident 5 soldiers sustained minor injuries of gunshot wounds and the soldiers have been stabilized as they were evacuated to FOB Faskari for medication care.”
The senior military officer stressed that there have never been any operation carried by the troops where scores of terrorists were never neutralised, saying air component of the operation were reinforced during the ambush.
According to him, “During the ambush, troops received support from the air component OP HADARIN DAJI as well as reinforcement from FOB YARMALIMAI.
“The joint effort of both forces dealt severe blow to the coalition of terrorist that gathered in numerical strength to execute both ambushes.
“Accordingly, several of the terrorist were neutralised as they suffered heavy casualties. Troops have unlock the change in tactics of these terrorist and made necessary adjustments to maintain tactical superiority in the battlefield.”
