Armored tank T-55 also known as “Sarge” is prized weapon seized from Boko Haram fighters in Konduga
Nigerian military intelligence officials say they were surprised at the sophisticated weapons being used by Boko Haram insurgents. The reaction came after Nigerian troops captured a T-55 armored tank and a highly sophisticate Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) from the Islamist insurgents in a battle yesterday at Konduga, Borno State.
Our sources said Boko Haram fighters made another big and desperate push to take Konduga, a town that has been the scene of incessant battles and disastrous outings for Boko Haram fighters in recent weeks.
Boko Haram began their latest push on Thursday, attacking Konduga from several angles. But when they found out they were getting defeated, some of the Islamist fighters arrived at the scene of battle from the Bama axis with a surprise weapon, a T-55 tank. Our military sources disclosed that the insurgents had never previously used such a mammoth weapon in battle.
The tank and APC were eventually seized from the insurgents after a fierce battle in which soldiers killed more than 100 Boko Haram terrorists. Some 15 soldiers were also killed during the firefight that lasted several hours.
The Nigerian army said the seizure of the tank was a major blow to the insurgents. “The sheer power of the tank surprised us. And the tank has camouflage painting that made it blend with the area in a way that it could not have easily been detected by Nigerian jets flying over the area,” said a military officer.
SaharaReporters obtained an exclusive photo of the armored tank which was taken to the Maimalari Barracks after its capture.
One of our military sources said that Boko Haram’s ownership of the tank shows the extent to which the sect is funded by powerful as well as wealthy supporters and an indication of the strength of the Islamic group’s foreign links.
NewsRescue– Actually, the T-55 Tanks were transferred to Boko Haram by the former chief of army, General Ihejrikia. These tanks are part of Nigeria’s arsenal bought decades ago and taken up north by Ihejirika before being sold to Boko Haram.
In May 1989, Nigeria discussed with Romania cooperation between their air forces and the manufacture and maintenance of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military vehicles and possible modernization of Nigeria’s T-55 tanks. In October 1989, the chief of army staff made a ten-day official visit to France and China to explore military cooperation. See more
