February 05, (THEWILL) – A mine explosion has killed a soldier and wounded others while on a clearance operations in Kaduna State on Monday, LEADERSHIP reports.
A military source disclosed that terrorists operating in the Northwest part of Nigeria, have acquired landmines posing a great threat to railway services in the axis.
The source told the publication that a soldier was killed on Monday when their Armuored Personnel Carrier (APC) stepped on a mine planted around Birnin Gwari axis by the terrorists.
He said while one soldier was burnt to death in the APC, others sustained injuries including gunshot wounds.
The source speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP, said with such capabilities, there is a threat to the Abuja-Kaduna rail services as hundreds of passengers face danger of being abducted or killed.
He said, “Don’t be surprised if you hear that terrorists attack Abuja-Kaduna rail line and pack all the passengers. They have upgraded and now using mines. Imagine what that will do to the rail track.”
He, however, said it was the first time such a device will be encountered in the North-west region.
“This is the first time we are seeing mines. Ever since I left North-east, I’ve just seen this kind of explosion. Whoever planted this mine is a Boko Haram Terrorist, not just the common bandits,” the source added.
THEWILL recalls that suspected bandits had on October 21, 2021 attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train and cut off the track, which led to a temporary suspension of services.
Though the bandits did not succeed in killing or abducting anyone, the incident, however, spread fears following series of abductions along the notorious Abuja-Kaduna road in the last years.
This prompted deployment of armed personnel on the train to provide security.
A top military source, said the Nigerian Air Force has taken delivery of eight drones which will be deployed in the North-West region.
He said the drones will become the game changer as they have the capacity to operate for over 30 hours.
This is aside drones deployed in the North-east, which have changed the game against Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State West Africa Province.
Terrorists operating in the North-West states of Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger had shot down a military jet while another crashed in attempt to rescue kidnapped victims in 2021.
While several soldiers have paid the supreme price, the Nigerian Government subsequently declared and classified bandits as terrorists late last year.
When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, did not respond to calls and text messages to his phone.
About the Author
