ISWAP Terrorists K!ll About 15 Soldiers, B¥rn Military Vehicles In Att∆ck On Borno Base
ISWAP Terrorists Kill About 15 Soldiers, Burn Military Vehicles In Attack On Borno Base
One of the sources said the terrorists stormed the base in large numbers, engaging troops in a gun battle that lasted for hours.
About 15 soldiers have reportedly been killed after suspected fighters of the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a military formation in Borno State.
Military sources told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred on Tuesday at the Mairari military base in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.
Mairari is a community close to Gajiram, the headquarters of Nganzai Local Government Area but administratively under Guzamala LGA.
One of the sources said the terrorists stormed the base in large numbers, engaging troops in a gun battle that lasted for hours.
“Many soldiers were killed and many are still missing after the attack,” a source familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters.
Another source said many soldiers also sustained injuries during the attack and were evacuated.
He said, “The incident happened on Tuesday in Borno State at the Mairari military base. They killed about 15 soldiers and many were injured.”
SaharaReporters obtained videos from the aftermath of the attack.
One of the videos shows burnt makeshift shelters made with corrugated iron sheets, destroyed defensive sandbags and other structures within the base completely razed.
Another shows several military gun trucks and Hilux vehicles burnt beyond recognition with their chassis charred and scattered in the sand.
A motorcycle was also seen abandoned in the open field as troops and locals inspected the ruins at dawn.
The footage confirms that the base was totally destroyed and looted.
Video file
SaharaReporters’ efforts to get a reaction from the military authorities were not successful.
Guzamala and Nganzai LGAs are among the most attacked areas in northern Borno, with ISWAP and Boko Haram maintaining a presence around the axis.
The Mairari attack is the latest in a renewed onslaught on military positions in northern Borno.
On October 10, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai said it had carried out a precision airstrike on an ISWAP enclave at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in the same Guzamala LGA, claiming that over 40 fighters, including a commander, were neutralised while preparing to attack troops in Sector 3.
On October 7, troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion in Kukawa LGA repelled a coordinated attack from four directions, with the Army claiming that over 25 terrorists were killed but also admitting that some soldiers paid the supreme price.
Borno remains the epicentre of over 17 years of jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions.
The Nigerian military has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely defeated and frequently downplays its losses.
