The Nigeria Army on Friday confirmed the killing of a colonel, a captain and three other soldiers by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents in Jakana area of Borno State.

A statement issued in Abuja by the Deputy Director, Public Relations of Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Isa Ado said the incident occurred on Wednesday when the military personnel ran into an ambush by the insurgents while on transit from Maiduguri to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

The statement said that troops of 212 Battalion deployed at Forward Operating Base in Jakana however succeeded in neutralizing an unconfirmed number of the terrorists when they tried to infiltrate the military base to garner logistics.

According to the statement, the terrorists came around 6 :45 pm in seven gun trucks and tried to infiltrate the camp but the attack was repelled with heavy fire and bombardment by the troops.

“The terrorists could not withstand the firepower of the troops after losing significant number of equipment and personnel in an exchange of fire .

“They lost initiative and withdrew in disarray along Benisheikh-Damaturu axis and abandoned a damaged utility gun truck which was earmarked to convey looted items.

“Troops immediately followed in hot pursuit and captured one anti-aircraft gun, two Rocket Propelled Grenade Tubes, two AK 47 Rifles, 15 machine gun rounds and 12 AK 47 NATO rounds.

“Sadly, a Colonel and a Captain as well as three soldiers on transit from Maiduguri to Damaturu ran into an ambush staged by the fleeing terrorists from the Jakana axis, which led to their unfortunate deaths,” the statement added.