Troops of operation Lafiya Dole have secured the historic town of Kukawa in Borno state, North-Eastern Nigeria, following a recent attack.
The town, close to the shores of Lake Chad, was attacked on Tuesday by Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), a splinter group of Boko Haram.
In a statement shared on Thursday, Major General John Eenenche, Coordinator Defence Media Operations disclosed that troops thwarted the attack on their location in Kukawa town.
Enenche said that during the incident, eight insurgents were neutralised and an unconfirmed number escaped with gunshots wounds.
“Unfortunately, three soldiers were fatally wounded and later gave up the ghost at the military medical reception station at Kukawa military location.
“Two others also sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the military medical station,” he said.
The Defence spokesman added that the attack was an attempt to reverse peacebuilding efforts.
“It could be recalled that on 29 July 2020, the Executive Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum flagged off the reopening of Munguno-Cross Kauwa-Kukawa Road.
“This was followed almost immediately with the resettlement of some of the displaced people from Kukawa and life was already picking up in the town.
“The attack by the terrorists was, therefore, a deliberate attempt to reverse the milestone achievements recorded regarding IDPs in the areas of peacebuilding, reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement efforts by the government,” he said.
The decade-long conflict with Boko Haram has left 30,000 people dead and displaced more than 3 million throughout the region.
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