Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed in Taraba State have recovered weapons and the corpse of a slain soldier during ongoing search-and-rescue operations following an ambush on a military patrol in Takum Local Government Area.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation followed an earlier attack on troops at Tyojande village in Takum LGA, which resulted in casualties, as disclosed in an Army operational update on Tuesday.
Acting on intelligence provided by local residents in the Kufai Amadu area on December 17, troops advanced to the general vicinity of Tyojande, where the ambush had occurred.
During the operation, troops made contact with armed elements near Ange village, about two kilometres from the location where the corpse of a killed soldier was later recovered.
According to the sources, the superior firepower of the troops forced the assailants to abandon their positions and flee into thick vegetation, using cattle as cover before escaping towards nearby mountainous terrain.
A hot pursuit followed, leading to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, one additional item and three empty magazines concealed at different locations within the area.
Troops subsequently advanced on foot through Tyojande and Yumga villages before projecting force to Ande and Nbaume communities, all within the Kufai Amadu axis of Takum LGA, where no further contact with the assailants was recorded.
The sources confirmed the recovery of the corpse of a late Lance Corporal in the Tyojande general area, while search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing to locate one soldier still missing.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations to account for all personnel and to deny criminal elements freedom of action in the area.
