Boko Haram: CJTF Commander, 14 Soldiers Killed in Borno.

Residents of the local government area of ​​Damboa, Borno state in northeastern Nigeria have confirmed the murder of the operational commander of the youth volunteer Mala Mintar, popularly known as the Civilian Joint Task Force, along with 14 soldiers in an ambush along the Maiduguri - Damboa road while on Saturday travelers accompanied afternoon.

The 87 km Maiduguri-Damboa road was opened to travelers last year by Lieutenant General of the Army General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. However, residents said that the ambush of terrorists from Ajigil, Talala and Alqgarno has continued unabated to the public since they opened.

The residents said the street was still a death trap despite the military escort, and authorities were asked to consider the well-known villages that had become Boko Haram fighters' operational bases along the street as necessary.

Umar Ajari, a member of the CJTF in Damboa who also fought with Mala Mintar, Said that Mala's death had brought sadness to many of them who fought with him.

He said, “When we were overwhelmed and driven out during the ambush, we thought he had escaped too, only to find out later that he was one of the dead in the fight that followed. We have ambushed many of our colleagues and fourteen soldiers, but we have also killed many of the fighting men on the other side.

“According to him, the Maiduguri - Damboa road has been attacked more than ten times this year and not much has been reported.

"There was an attack along this road last week. As long as Talala, Agijil and Alagarno still have a strong influence on the insurgents on this street, these attacks will continue, ”he added.

Another resident and NGO worker in Damboa said that his organization did not allow road trips from Maiduguri-Damboa due to the roads incidents.

"We received safety information about what was going on on this road every day and it was teriffic," he said.

He also confirmed that 14 Nigerian soldiers who accompanied travelers were reportedly killed on the road on Saturday.

“Everyone here in Damboa knows what happened. It is not a hidden truth. There was an ambush and 14 soldiers and many others were killed in the attack yesterday. We pray that their souls rest in peace, ”he said