Olaleye Aluko, Abuja
Troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole being coordinated by the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, have killed a top Boko Haram leader, Abu Usamah, and scores of other terrorists during a gun battle with the insurgents in Gorgi in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The military said on Monday that Usamah, one of the top commanders of the insurgents, was killed by troops on a subsidiary operation, Ayiso Tamonuma, noting that his death had created a “consequential vacuum in the Boko Haram leadership.”
The Defence Media Operations in a statement noted that ammunition including two AK-47 rifles, two AK-47 rifle magazines, one Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb, 273 rounds of Anti-Aircraft Gun ammunition, 101 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and a Boko Haram terrorists’ were recovered after the killing of Usamah.
The Director, DMO, Brig Gen Bernard Onyeuko, said, “Own communication intercept confirmed by accurate intelligence revealed that a top Boko Haram Commander, Abu Usamah, was among those Boko Haram insurgents killed during the Gorgi encounter. He sustained gunshot wounds in the fire fight that ensued during the encounter before his foot soldiers hurriedly evacuated him and withdrew. Nevertheless, Abu Usamah died in the process.
“His death has no doubt created a consequential vacuum in the Boko Haram leadership particularly as the gallant troops remain resilient and continue to rout the criminal elements from their last enclaves in the North-East.”
The military spokesman noted that in another development, troops of 159 Task Force Battalion in Kanama community in the Yunusari LGA of Yobe State, killed scores of the Boko Haram terrorists and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province insurgents who attempted to infiltrate their location on Friday.
“The terrorists were decimated by troops supported by the Air Component of Operation Lafiya Dole. Furthermore, during the encounter, several terrorists were neutralised while one Gun Truck and various arms and ammunition were captured by the troops,” Onyeuko added.
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