Insurgency: Buratai  Seeks Support from South Korea

Insurgency: Buratai  Seeks Support from South Korea

•  Army  kills five Boko Haram terrorists in Borno

By Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

In a renewed bid to defeat the rampaging terrorists in the North-east, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai, has visited South Korea.

This is coming as the Nigerian military has sustained the clampdown on the Boko Haram militants in Northern Borno State, killing five terrorists and destroying some of the group’s military hardware.

Buratai’s visit, which was at the instance of KIA Motors Corporation, was aimed at improving the capacity building of the Nigerian Army by South Korea in the areas of military logistics, intelligence gathering, army aviation and military vehicle manufacturing.

Buratai visited the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Korean Armed Forces, General Park Hanki, in his office.

During the visit, the duo emphasised the need for more collaboration between the South Korea and the Nigerian military, especially in the areas of training and equipment support.

They also promised to further enhance the relationship between the Korean military and the Nigerian Army.

Buratai also paid a similar visit to Chief of Staff, Republic of Korean Army, General Kim Yong-woo, where they exchanged ideas, and harped on the need for further collaboration between the two armies.

A statement issued by the Army Headquarters in Abuja said Buratai was also at the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), at Duteopbawi-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, an equivalent of  Defence Industries of Nigeria (DICON).

While there, he interacted with the Minister in charge, Mr. Wang Jung Hong, and other management staff of DAPA on ways of further collaboration between DAPA and the Nigerian Army.

As part of his itinerary, the COAS also visited the Headquarters of 11th Infantry Division of the Korean Army, at Hong Cheon.

On arrival, he was received by the Commander, Major General Kim, who briefed him on the organisation, operations and exploits of the Division. “The Division also displayed the sophistication and potency of some of the formation’s equipment and armoured fighting vehicles for the Nigerian delegation.

“The COAS and members of his delegation were at the corporate headquarters of KIA Motors Corporation, Gwangju, where they were received and briefed by Director Special Vehicle Global Sales Group, Mr. Il -Tae Kim.

“Thereafter, they were conducted round the company’s manufacturing plants, particularly the KIA Light Tactical Vehicles manufacturing plants”, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military has sustained the clampdown on the Boko Haram militants in Northern Borno, killing five terrorists and destroying some of the group’s military hardware.

The military revealed the latest success in a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the military counter-insurgency operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Col. Onyema Nwachukwu.

Nwachukwu, in the statement, said: “Combined Special Forces troops of the Nigerian Army, Navy and the Air Force operating under the auspices of Operation LAfiYA DOLE in the ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in northern Borno have inflicted devastating man and equipment casualty on Boko Haram terrorists in a fresh encounter with the dissidents in the late hours of Saturday 19 January 19, 2018.

“The terrorists, armed with two Gun trucks, a vehicle laden with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and a suicide bomber, met their waterloo while frantically fighting to break into the formidable defensive position of the troops. The gallant troops responded swiftly in a fierce counter offensive, unleashing superior and overwhelming firepower on the terrorists and neutralised five of them, including a driver and a gunner firing from a gun truck, a suicide bomber in a vehicle loaded with IED and two other terrorists.

“In the ferocious counter attack, the valiant troops destroyed one Gun truck and one IED – Carrying vehicle. The troops also recovered one Anti-aircraft Gun and three AK 47 Rifles belonging to the terrorists. The troops are relentless and in high morale as they continue in hot pursuit of some of the terrorists who fled the scene of the encounter when they were overpowered by the troops.”

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