Boko Haram Insurgency: 35 Bodies 'in Military Uniform' at Yobe Morgue

 

 

A hospital source in Yobe confirmed that 35 bodies in military uniform have been delivered to a morgue after a coordinated assault by Boko Haram targeting the security forces. The confirmation became available on October 28, 2013, Monday.

The attack during the late hours of Thursday, October 24, in the Yobe state capital of Damaturu was the first raid in a major urban centre in several weeks by the insurgent group waging a four-year Islamist uprising.

Police and residents said large numbers of Boko Haram fighters, some in vehicles and some on foot, stormed Damaturu after dark.

Armed with guns and explosives, they attacked and torched four police buildings, sparking a fierce, hours-long gun battle with the security forces.

“We have received lots of bodies in the last three days from the attacks. I counted 35 bodies in military uniform,” said a senior official at the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, who requested anonymity.

An army officer based in Jos disclosed on the terms of anonymity that 20 soldiers had been admitted at a hospital there, suffering from “gunshot wounds sustained in the battle against Boko Haram in Damaturu.”

“They were brought here for security reasons and better medical facilities,” the officer said.

The military rarely discusses troop fatalities following Islamist attacks and local officials who disclose such details have faced pressure to keep quiet.

Yobe State military spokesman Lazarus Eli did not deny reports that dozens of soldiers were killed during the clash.

“We do not have any data on the death toll,” Lazarus said on Monday.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade disputed the figure of 35 but said the military sustained losses.

“On the part of the military, we did not suffer that volume of casualties at all,” he said, while adding, “definitely there were casualties on both sides.”

Boko Haram has repeatedly worn military uniforms as a disguise during attacks and it was not yet clear whether the corpses were those of insurgents or troops.

The day after the attack, witnesses and local officials did not say the insurgents who staged it were disguised in uniforms.

Nigeria’s sweeping offensive against Boko Haram has entered its fifth month, and the military has described the group as being in disarray and no longer capable of attacking major population centres.

The conflict has killed over 4,000 since 2009.