JUST IN: Boko Haram launches fresh att∆ck on Nigerian military base in Borno

JUST IN: Boko Haram launches fresh attack on Nigerian military base in Borno

Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly attacked a military outpost at Ajilari, an outskirt of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

The attack took place around 12:30 am on Monday, March 16, 2026, when the terrorists infiltrated the area and started shooting sporadically.

According to sources who spoke with Daily Trust, the attack is taking place simultaneously with another one in Baga, where the terrorists engaged troops at Baga military base.

However, a quick response from a combined team of the military, police, civilian JTF, and Air Force forced the assailants to retreat.

Spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident, saying security operatives were on top of the situation.

“The suspected terrorists attacked Ajilari Cross. Call me later for details, please,” he said hurriedly in a phone conversation with Daily Trust.

Many residents who were out for night prayers were seen in a group discussing the attack as helicopters hovered in the sky.

“We were very scared, the whole air was taken over by gunshots and explosions. But Alhamdullillah, the situation is calm and prayers have began,” one of the residents in Gomari, Bashir Yusuf, said.

Terrorist attacks on military positions in Nigeria’s North East appear to be resurging, with insurgents launching a series of coordinated assaults on army formations in the first week of March 2026.

At least five military bases were targeted within days, leaving several soldiers dead and raising fresh concerns about the strength and frequency of the attacks.

One of the latest incidents occurred in Goniri, located in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, where terrorists attacked a military formation late on Sunday night and continued into the early hours of Monday, March 9.

During the assault, the attackers destroyed some military operational vehicles. Troops of the Joint Task Force North East under Operation Hadin Kai, however, fought back and eventually forced the insurgents to retreat after inflicting heavy casualties on them.

On the same day, another deadly attack was recorded in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The terrorists reportedly entered the town from different directions in the early hours of the morning before launching an assault on the military camp.

The attack claimed the life of Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, the commanding officer overseeing military operations in Kukawa and surrounding areas. Farouq sustained severe injuries during the attack and died while being transported to Maiduguri for medical treatment. Several other soldiers were also killed.

Just days earlier, insurgents had carried out coordinated attacks on multiple military bases across Borno State. On the night of March 5, around 10.30 pm, the attackers struck military positions in Konduga, Mainok and Jakana. Hours later, at about 3.00 am on March 6, they launched another assault on a military base in Marte town.

The attack in Konduga resulted in the death of Lieutenant Colonel SI Iliyasu, the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion, along with a number of soldiers. Despite the losses, the military said troops engaged the insurgents and killed several of them during the confrontation.

The spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Uba Sani, confirmed that scores of Boko Haram fighters were neutralised while troops repelled the attacks.

Earlier in the month, on March 1, terrorists had also attacked the Forward Operations Base located in Mayanti in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

The assault led to the death of the base commander, Umar Ibrahim Mairiga, along with three soldiers and a local hunter who was assisting the troops.

The string of attacks within a short period has heightened security concerns in the region, with observers warning that the renewed wave of assaults suggests insurgents are once again intensifying operations against military formations in the North East.

Meanwhile, last week, Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, summoned the Service Chiefs to an emergency meeting.

He later briefed President Bola Tinubu alongside top security officials.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Musa said the service Chiefs had agreed to change strategy while the President approved new hardware to boost the battle against insurgency.