The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that three officers and 22 soldiers were killed in the ambush and helicopter crash that occurred in Wushishi and Shiroro Local Government Areas of Niger state. According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Director of Defence Media Operation, Edward Buba, disclosed this during a biweekly briefing on operations of the DHQ.
Buba did not disclosed the cause of the helicopter crash, but said investigation was ongoing to determine the factors that led to the accident.
NAN quoted Buba as saying, “Our troops entered into an ambush in the general area of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state.
“The ambush led to a firefight which resulted in the death of three officers and 22 soldiers, while seven were wounded in action.
“As a result of this, there was need for casualty evacuation whereby the air force helicopter was dispatched.
“While that operation was on and inbound to Kaduna, the helicopter crashed.
“It crashed with 14 of the previously killed in action personnel at the ambush, seven of the previously wounded in action personnel at the ambush, two pilots of the helicopter and two crew members”.
Buba urged members of the public to remain patriotic and to be wary of propaganda being spread by terrorists.
On August 14, an aircraft conveying wounded soldiers from a scene of an ambush by bandits in Wushishi LGA, crashed in Chukuba village, Shiroro LGA.
Several military personnel were said to have been killed by terrorists who attacked Kundu village near Zungeru.
A video clip, purported to be the wreckage of the helicopters and corpses of soldiers has been trending on social media platforms.
DHQ: Three officers, 22 soldiers killed in Niger ambushed
