The Nigerian Army has said five troops of the 19 soldiers who went missing in last Wednesday after an ambush at Gongon village in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents Nigeria’s volatile northeast have been found, the army has said.
Army spokesman, Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the commanding officer of the unit was among those found by the search party.
He said the soldiers and officers were found early on Saturday morning and taken to the nearest army medical facility for care.
“Consequently, concerted efforts were initiated to search for and rescue them. The measures include the use of air assets, Special Forces and patrols.
“We wish to inform you that the search party has this morning found five more officers and soldiers that were declared missing in action, including the unit’s commanding officer.
“Although they are in a stable condition, have been moved to our medical facilities for medical care,” he said, adding that the other 14 are still unaccounted for.
Boko Haram’s bid to form a hardline Islamic state has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and displaced more than 2.6 million people, with the violence spilling over into neighbouring Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year has pushed the militants into remote border areas around Lake Chad.
