Two soldiers lost their lives on Saturday while one was seriously wounded after a blast rocked the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, 3 Armoured Division, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, Plateau State.
While giving details of the incident, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Texas Chukwu, said the incident was not an attack on the barrack, but an explosion that occurred while the soldiers engaged in a demolition exercise started on Wednesday.
Chukwu said: “The attention of 3 Division headquarters at Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Jos, was this morning drawn to the news making the rounds in some media houses that a bomb exploded at the cantonment as a result of the handiwork of insurgents.
“I want to use this medium therefore to state that this cantonment was not under attack or attacked by insurgents.
“There is an ongoing demolition exercise, which started on Wednesday, April 20, and to terminate on May 4. The public were informed in the media.
“The explosion heard in the cantonment was from an a accident that occurred while the troops authorised to destroy unserviceable ammunition were carrying out their task.
“Some of the unserviceable ammunition exploded in the process of being moved to the demolition site. The explosion did not affect the cantonment or the neighbouring communities.”
Chukwu also confirmed the death of two soldiers as a result of the accident, while he said another one sustained injury.
The blast was heard several kilometres into the city resulting in severe panic as people scampered to safety.
