No fewer than 36 soldiers including two pilots and two crew members were killed in the Niger State ambush and aircraft crash, the Defence Headquarters disclosed on Thursday.
A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft — MI-171 Helicopter crashed on Monday in Niger State. The helicopter was on a casualty evacuation mission, after troops suffered terrorist ambush.
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Major General Edward Buba, director, defence media operations, while giving a breakdown of the casualties at a press conference in Abuja said, “Three officers, 22 soldiers, while seven were wounded in action. An airforce helicopter was dispatched, while that operation was on, and in-bound to Abuja, the helicopter crashed with the 14 previously killed in action personnel, seven of the wounded personnel in ambush, the two pilots of the helicopter and two crew members.”
On the he cause of the helicopter crash, he said investigation is still underway while urging citizens to be wary of propaganda by terrorists.
