Death toll hits 48 in Boko Haram troop attack: military sources
The death toll from a Boko Haram attack on a Nigerian army post on the border with Niger has risen to 48, military sources said on 3 September.
Scores of Boko Haram fighters in trucks stormed the base on 30 August in Zari village in northern Borno state and briefly seized it after a fierce battle.
Boko Haram, which has been waging a deadly insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has intensified attacks on military targets in recent months.
At least 30 Nigerian soldiers were initially said to have been killed in 30 August’s raid.
A military source who did not want to be named told AFP: ‘The casualty toll now stands at 48 with the recovery of 17 more bodies of soldiers in surrounding bushes in Zari by search and rescue teams. Search operations are still ongoing and more bodies are likely to be recovered.’
Another military source confirmed the new death toll.
He said: ‘So far (the) bodies of 48 troops have been recovered. Yesterday rescue teams found 17 bodies of fallen soldiers.’
Adding further he said that they included two officers and 46 soldiers.
He said: ‘When the troops were overwhelmed by the terrorists they withdrew in different directions.’
More from Defence Notes
-
Pentagon to strengthen cyber networks of US partners and allies
The recently released 2023 Cyber Strategy states that the US will build the capacity and capability of allies and partners in cyberspace and expand avenues of potential cyber cooperation.
-
US Army seeks innovative new battlefield roles for drones
The US Army recently tested deployment of UAS to identify casualties on the battlefield and in disaster response scenarios. Drones were used to assess the vital signs of wounded soldiers from the sky.