B.U. Umar, a lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of 114 TF battalion of the Nigerian Army was ambushed by 9:30 am Tuesday alongside his troops between Bita and Piridang.
A source said: “His vehicle stepped on an improvised explosive device, but he was not hurt. He came out to assess the damage on the vehicle and Boko Haram opened fire and killed him in the process.”
Eight other soldiers were injured and evacuated to Michika, Adamawa State, for treatment.
The soldiers were said to be on their way to Yola in Adamawa State from Bita in Borno State when the incident occurred, sources told PT.
The full casualty from the attack is not yet clear.
Lt. Col. Umar, who recently took over the command of the 114 battalion about three weeks ago, was a member of the 48 Regular Course in the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA.
When contacted, the Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said he was unaware of Mr. Umar’s death. He said he would seek further confirmation from appropriate authorities.
The killing of Umar occurs about a week after another Lieutenant Colonel, Muhammed Abu-Ali, and some soldiers fighting with him were killed in a deadly ambush by Boko Haram.
Fourteen Boko Haram insurgents were also killed in the heavy exchange of gunfire.
No comments:
Post a Comment