25 killed as Army, Boko Haram clash in Borno

25 killed as Army, Boko Haram clash in
Borno
on december 13, 2013 at 3:22 pm in news
By Ndahi Marama
No fewer than 25 people suspected to be members
of Boko Haram terrorists have been killed,
Thursday, in a clash with troops of the 7 Division,
Nigerian Army at Ngauramari villages of Bama Local
Government Area of Borno state.
Ngauramari is a small farming community along the
Maiduguri- Bama – Firgi-Gwoza federal highway
which had witnessed series of attacks and killing of
over 20 motorists and passengers this week by
suspected terrorists.
Our Correspondent gathered that the incident took
place at about 8am on Thursday when some
suspected Boko Haram members, crossing the road
from their camps in the Sambisa Forest exchanged
gunfire with troops, with the killing of three
terrorists. Vanguard gathered those who fled from
the scene of the attack were killed by military
airstrikes.
Sources said, during the encounter with the
military, all roads leading to the area were closed
for over three hours in order to avoid civilian
casualties, particularly motorists and their
passengers who were plying the road as at the time
of the airstrikes.
A commercial driver , Ali Wando who came from
Gwoza into Maiduguri told our correspondent, “I
saw three corpses by the roadside at Ngauramari
which were dismembered by the rocket launcher
fired at them by the military when they came on
their tricycle.”
“Several other bodies were lying further in the bush
but I did not go to count the bodies because I was
afraid as I believed some of the insurgents might be
in hiding further in the bush”.
Another commercial driver who did not want his
name mentioned in print for security reason said, ”
soon after the military killed the terrorists in
Ngauramari, the Nigerian Airforce fighter jet located
more suspected terrorists around the Bama-Firgi -
Gwoza river bank attempting to cross the river
before the airforce fighter jet dropped some bombs
on them killing many of them”.
When contacted on phone, the Spokesman of the 7
Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole
sent a text message to our Correspondent saying, ”
I am coming up with statement on the incident very
soon, thanks”, but after waiting for several hours,
there was no response from him