By DUKU JOEL, DAMATURU

One officer and two soldiers have been reportedly killed by Boko Haram in an early morning ambush on the troops at a check-point along Damaturu/Maiduguri highway on Sunday.

A military source, who is not authorised to speak on the matter, told The Nation a Lieutenant and two soldiers were killed in the ambush the insurgents laid against the troops at a checkpoint on the highway before they arrived.

“Our soldiers left to mount the check-point between Jakana and Mainok but unknown to them, Boko Haram had already laid ambush waiting for them to arrive.

“They engaged them immediately in exchange of fire. We lost one officer, a Lieutenant and two soldiers. The Boko Haram were also killed but you know they will always carry their dead ones but our guys captured one alive and recovered one of their dead bodies,” the source informed.

There is no official statement on the attack from the military.

Spokesman of sector II Operation Lafiya Dole, Lieutenant Kennedy Anyawu, did not respond to the call by our correspondent.

Bako, one of the travellers stuck on the road while the attack lasted, informed they were escorted by the army from Jakana to Benishk where they proceeded to Damaturu while travellers going to Maiduguri were escorted from Jakana to Auno before they proceeded to Maiduguri.

Bako also informed there were hundreds of vehicles caught in the incident forcing them to wait for close to three hours as the fight lasted. (The Nation)