Yenagoa—Three suspected cultists reportedly lost their lives in a fierce gun battle on Tuesday with soldiers at Obuburu community in Rivers state, just as the Joint Force in the Niger Delta, code named Operation Pulo Shield also shot dead one of the suspected militants that killed two soldiers in Bayelsa state recently.
Community sources at Obuburu community, Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government area, River state , said the soldiers first encountered cultists in the community in a gun battle about a month ago but they could not dislodge the hoodlums from the area.
The sources added the soldiers had to go back to reinforce before storming the place again on Tuesday leading to killing of three boys,
“About a month ago, the soldiers engaged the cultists in the community but could not really do much because of the purported charms the boys had which made it impossible for bullets to penetrate their bodies. This time the soldiers had to come back with greater force, killing three of them in the gun battle,” the source said.
Vanguard gathered that the soldiers deployed Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, and other superior fire power to the area on Tuesday for the battle.
At press time, community sources said security men had taken over the area that was hitherto a den of cultists.
Spokesman of the 2 Amphibious Brigade, Port Harcourt, Captain Lazarus Eli had not responded to a text message from our Correspondent to him for comment on the incident.
In related development, the Joint Force in the Niger Delta code named Operation Pulo Shield, yesterday, said its operatives shot dead one of the suspected militants that killed two soldiers on the Ogbia-Nembe Road in the Bayelsa East senatorial district.
.Source: Vanguard