Categories: News

Boko Haram Seizes Military Base in Borno

Agency Report/

Boko Haram jihadists have seized a military base in northeast Nigeria, days after an attack left five troops dead and 30 missings, security sources and residents said Saturday.

A column of fighters from the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province in trucks and on motorcycles stormed into the base in the town of Magumeri, 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri late Friday.

The militants overran the base for several hours, hauling away weapons before they were forced out.

“The terrorists dislodged troops from the base after an intense fight,” a military officer told AFP.

“We lost weapons and equipment to the terrorists but it is not clear if there was any human loss,” said the officer, who asked not to be named.

The jihadists arrived in the town around 5:00 pm (1600 GMT) and engaged troops in an hour-long fight before they “gained the upper hand and chased the troops away,” militia leader Gremah Kaka told AFP.

“The insurgents overpowered the soldiers and forced them to flee into the bush,” he said.

Kaka said the jihadists stayed in the base for “more than four hours” before they were dislodged by reinforcements from another base in Gubio, 46 kilometres away.

Last week, the jihadists raided a military base in Mararrabar Kimba, 135 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing five troops and stealing weapons, while some 30 troops are listed as missing.

ISWAP has since July last year targeted dozens of military bases in attacks that saw the jihadists kill scores of soldiers.

The military authorities have always denied any casualties.

Boko Haram’s decade-long campaign of violence has killed 27,000 people and displaced around two million in Nigeria.

The conflict has also spilt over into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

*AFP

0
Editor

Recent Posts

NNPC, SPDC Joint Venture Donates US$1 Million to Support Borno Flood Victims

Malik Yahya/ The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC JV)—operator of the NNPC…

19 mins ago

Federal Reserve Chair, Powell, Says He’ll Refuse to Step Down if Trump Asks

Femi Ashekun/ Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, has declared that he wouldn’t resign if President-elect…

12 hours ago

FG Responds to Malaysia’s Plan to Phase Out CNG, Clarifies its Position on Adoption

Segun Atanda/ The Nigerian government has responded to Malaysia's recent announcement to phase out compressed…

18 hours ago

Lagos Police Arrest Dog Owner After Fatal Attack on Security Guard in Lekki

Matilda Omonaiye/ The police in Lagos have arrested Salisu Mustapha, the owner of three dogs…

24 hours ago

Why America Chose Donald Trump Again: A Vote for Defiance and Distrust

Dipo Kehinde/ As the news broke, many around the world struggled to understand how a…

2 days ago

Donald Trump Elected US President in Historic Comeback

Editor/ Donald Trump has defeated Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, marking a surprising…

2 days ago