A soldier of Operation Hadin Kai and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) lost their lives as troops rescued 10 students and teachers abducted during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents.
The attack occurred at the Technical Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where students were writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination.
According to the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the insurgents arrived on motorcycles at about 9 a.m., opened fire, killed a teacher and abducted an unspecified number of students and staff.
He said troops, supported by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft from the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, immediately launched a rescue operation and intercepted the fleeing insurgents near Daggu.
During the ensuing gun battle, security forces successfully rescued 10 of the abducted victims unharmed and recovered seven motorcycles believed to have been used by the attackers. However, one soldier and a CJTF operative were killed while confronting the insurgents.
Captain Goni described the fallen personnel as heroes who paid the ultimate price while defending innocent civilians, adding that troops remain in pursuit of the attackers to rescue the remaining abductees and bring those responsible to justice.
The military also disclosed that security has been reinforced around vulnerable communities and schools to prevent further attacks.
The latest incident comes barely a month after suspected Boko Haram insurgents abducted 42 students from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in the same Askira/Uba Local Government Area, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing parts of Borno State.
