Troops swiftly regained a military base from combined forces of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram at the weekend.
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The terrorists’ wielding machine-guns mounted on trucks, seized Marte – a town 93 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital – and the military base there on Friday night.
Borno State is the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Ground troops, backed by aerial support, ambushed the reinforcement team of the terrorists before dislodging them.
The Army said troops “tactically withdrew” to defend against the attack from outside Marte.
The ISIL posted a statement on its Amaq news channel on Telegram claiming responsibility for the attack.
It said seven people were killed, and one captured, and that its fighters had seized weapons, ammunition and six four-wheel-drive vehicles and that it burnt down the army barracks. There was no confirmation of these claims.
ISWAP, which split from Boko Haram in 2016, maintains camps on islands in Lake Chad – which borders Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad meet – and the area is known to be the group’s bastion.
However, the Defence Headquarters said it eliminated scores of terrorists and destroyed their gun trucks.
In a statement, Coordinator Defence Media Operations Major General John Enenche, said the Armed Forces would “not relent until normalcy is restored not only in the Northeast but also in every other troubled part of our beloved country”.
He added: “After successfully repelling a Boko Haram/ Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists’ attack on Marte, with the destruction of seven gun trucks by the combined ground and air operations, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has obliterated additional six gun trucks and eliminated scores of terrorists who were attempting to reinforce their colleagues in the attack.
“This occurred on the night of 15 January through to the early hours of 16 January 2021 as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter gunships engaged the convoy of ISWAP gun trucks as they approached Marte axis for reinforcement.
“The helicopters delivered accurate hits in their multiple waves of attack, obliterating no fewer than six additional gun trucks, which were seen engulfed in flames across the battlespace.
“Several other terrorists were mopped-up in follow-on attacks as the helicopter gunships continued to strafe the fleeing ISWAP elements.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria, operating in concert with other security agencies and stakeholders, will sustain the offensive against the enemies of our great nation.”
Chief of Army Staff Gen Tukur Buratai praised his forces for recapturing the military base.
Troops and hundreds of residents were reportedly forced to flee following the attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group.