50 B/Haram, 30 soldiers killed in Pilka, Gwoza in one week

No fewer than 50 Boko Haram members and over 30 soldiers were feared
killed in an encounter around Pilka, Kirawa and Gwoza communities of
Borno State in the last one week, reliable security source has
confirmed.

It will be recalled that following the military take-over of Damboa
Council Headquarters which was captured by terrorists, suspected Boko
Haram gunmen in their hundreds escaped from Damboa and Sambisa Forest
where they invaded and captured Gwoza town in Borno State, following
last Wednesday=s multiple attacks on several houses, a police station,
secretariat complex, and the Emir=s place.

Photo above: one of the vehicle used by the insurgents on Friday

In the latest Gwoza attacks, even the new Emir, who took over from his
late father, who was killed by Boko Haram, Alhaji Muhammed Idrisa
Timta narrowly escaped being killed.

A top security source confirmed to our correspondent in Maiduguri that
"the deployment of military to Gwoza, weekend, led to serious
casualties from both sides, as more than 30 soldiers were ambushed and
killed by terrorists in Pilka, Kirawa and other villages on the
Maiduguri Bama Gwoza troubled road.

"Also, over 50 of the insurgents were killed in the encounter, but
unfortunately, military troops in Kirawa withdrew and returned to Bama
where they were reunited with their colleagues at the military
barracks following the fire-power from the insurgents. They could not
go to Gwoza as directed by their commanders.

At T Junction on Banki Road, the terrorists also ambushed the military
post where both sides suffered several casualties, although I don't
have details of those killed yet," the source said.

He added that it was difficult for security operatives to enter Gwoza
town where terrorists had a field day, because, most of the villages
along the road leading to Gwoza where its inhabitants were sacked,
were occupied by terrorists who climbed on trees and opened fire on
military operational vehicles.

A text message sent to Director, Defence Information, Major General
Chris Olukolade to confirm the incident was not replied.

Meanwhile, following months of making strategies on the best ways of
rescuing the over 200 abducted girls of the Government Seconday
School, Chibok, the Defence headquarters, yesterday, disclosed that
Nigerian soldiers have infiltrated and taken positions in Sambisa
forest, the den where the girls and several other hostages were being
kept.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Olukolade, who made the
disclosure, said that Sambisa Forest is a wide expanse of land
covering over 6,000 square kilometres with several communities living
inside, noting that this explained why the military could not just go
into the forest and bomb the whole place.

Explaining that the armed forces were not relenting in a bid to bring
back the girls, General Olukolade said the military wanted to avoid
collateral damage in the process of rescuing the Chibok girls,
insisting that the foreign collaboration in efforts at achieving this
goal was assisting in this regard.

On the take-over of Gwoza town by Boko Haram and the subsequent
hoisting of their flags, and counter attacks by soldiers to re-take
the town, he said that no portion of Nigeria was available for
terrorists to occupy, adding that "if they (terrorists) appear to be
doing so now, it was only a joke."