At least 20 soldiers have been feared killed in an aerial attack meant to neutralise Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) that overran a troops’ base in Mainok on Sunday.
The air strike, according to a soldier, was carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet which mistook the gun truck carrying the troops for terrorists.
The Nation reports the terrorists, said to have invaded Mainok in a convoy of four MRAPs, a scorpion Armoured Personnel Carrier and several gun trucks had disguised as friendly forces on Sunday night before dislodging troops of 156 Battalion and setting their camp ablaze.
They were said to have subsequently mounted checkpoints and moved into the community still dressed in Nigerian military desert camouflage.
Narrating how the fighter jet killed own forces, a soldier who made a 14-second video said they were shelled in error.
In the now viral video, the soldier, who spoke pidgin English, said one of the army’s gun trucks coming to Mainok for reinforcement has been shelled by the NAF.
He explained he was calling the gun truck to come and carry him and a colleague standing on the express but the gun truck was going into the bush, alleging the smoke that was captured in the video was that of the bombarded gun truck and the soldiers in it were dead.
“The Boko Haram terrorists disguised in military uniform and gained access to the camp. They came in different groups and could not be counted. The Nigerian Army were pinned down, they requested for reinforcement, the reinforcement got on their way only to get shelled by the Nigerian Air Force.
“The (reinforcement team) was coming from Ngandu when they were killed by the airstrike targeted at Boko Haram. The Boko Haram were dressed in military uniform and carried high calibre military weapons,” a source said.
Earlier, a message was sent out warning soldiers passing through Maiduguri to steer clear because the insurgents, disguised as military personnel, have taken over roadblocks and checkpoints.
