One dies as troops kill four suicide bombers

Kayode Idowu

Four suicide bombers were on Friday night killed in an attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State.

The explosion from the attack left one dead and 13 persons injured apart from the suicide bombers, whose bodies were mangled beyond recognition.

The spokesman for the military counter-insurgency operation in the North-East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement confirming the attack, said, “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed in a checkpoint ahead of Muna Garage on the outskirts of Maiduguri yesterday neutralised four suicide bombers comprising a male and three females.

“The suicide bombers were attempting to infiltrate the Maiduguri metropolis through Muna Zawiya at about 9.30pm but were spotted by vigilant troops, who fired shots hitting one of them, thereby triggering a simultaneous explosion, killing all four bombers.”

Also speaking on the attack, the Borno Police Command Public Relations Officer, Edet Okon, in a statement, said, “At about 2149hrs yesterday (Friday), four female suicide bombers infiltrated Muna Zawiya village in the Mafa Local Government Area, on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

“They detonated explosives, killing themselves and one other person (female). Thirteen persons were injured and were taken to a hospital where they are responding to treatment.”

But a source in the youth vigilante told our correspondent that seven persons were killed in the explosion.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Four blasts heard last night were carried out by four female bombers. Three persons died apart from the four bombers, nine others sustained various degrees of injuries, and five sheep were killed during the blasts.

“The injured persons are receiving treatment at the Borno State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.”

In another development, the military claimed that four Boko Haram members were hacked down in an attack.

Nwachukwu said, “The insurgents, who had been routed out of the Sambisa Forest by troops in Operation Deep Punch II, were rummaging for food and logistics when they met their Waterloo.

“The gallant troops recovered a Toyota Land Cruiser, one AK-47 rifle, 15 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and one magazine. Troops also recovered 47 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the insurgents.”

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