A senior officer of the Nigerian Army and several soldiers have been killed following an attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources identified the fallen officer as Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, who was leading military operations in the Kukawa axis at the time of the assault. He reportedly died alongside some of his troops while resisting the insurgents.
According to a security intelligence source who spoke to TV360 anonymously, the confrontation was intense, with the soldiers putting up a strong fight as they attempted to defend the community from the attackers.
The source noted that Lieutenant Colonel Farouq and his men demonstrated remarkable courage during the battle, continuing to engage the insurgents despite the scale of the attack.
Although the military has not officially confirmed the number of casualties, preliminary reports indicate that the troops fought to push back the militants and safeguard residents of Kukawa before they were overwhelmed.
Earlier information obtained by TV360 suggested that the attackers advanced into the town from several directions before targeting a military base in the area.
During the raid, the insurgents reportedly seized weapons and ammunition and destroyed several military gun trucks by setting them on fire.
Before his death, Lieutenant Colonel Farouq served as the Commanding Officer of the 101 Brigade and had been actively directing counter-insurgency operations against terrorist groups operating in the Kukawa area.
As of the time this report was filed, the Nigerian military had not released an official statement confirming the incident or detailing the full extent of casualties.
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