More than 40 Nigerian soldiers have reportedly been killed following coordinated attacks by militants of the Islamic State-backed Boko Haram faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, in Borno State.
It was earlier revealed on Friday that the insurgents carried out simultaneous assaults on four military bases located in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and Marte between about 10pm on Thursday and 3am on Friday.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, during the attacks, the terrorists were said to have fired intermittently at the military facilities, resulting in heavy casualties.
The attackers reportedly arrived in several groups, making it difficult to determine their exact number.
Providing an update on Saturday, multiple sources said that more than 40 bodies of slain soldiers have so far been recovered.
Among those reportedly killed was a senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel SI Iliyasu. The officer, who served as the Commanding Officer of 222 Battalion, was killed alongside some of his men in Konduga during the attack.
According to the online newspaper, it was also learnt that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has travelled to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following the incident.
“We lost over 40 soldiers to those attacks. It’s so sad; we still can’t find some of our men, can’t say if they are alive or dead, but over 40 bodies have been recovered as of now,” a military source told the newspaper.
“It’s so much that the Chief Army Staff had to pay an emergency visit to Borno this morning; right now, he’s at the Headquarters Theatre command in Maiduguri for more brief on the whole attacks.”
In recent months, both civilians and security personnel have continued to suffer attacks from terrorists operating in Borno State. Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province, have over the years killed thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes across Nigeria’s North-East.
Although the Nigerian military has often stated that the insurgency has been largely degraded, insurgents have continued to target military personnel in recent months.
Between about 10pm on Thursday and 3am on Friday, the terrorists reportedly launched coordinated attacks on four military bases in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and Marte in Borno State.
During the assaults, they were said to have fired sporadically at the bases, leading to multiple casualties. The attackers were also reported to have arrived in several groups, making their numbers difficult to determine.
Sources further disclosed that the gunmen set ablaze armoured tanks and military vehicles while carting away an unspecified quantity of ammunition during the attacks.
However, one of the sources said the troops also killed several Boko Haram fighters while resisting the assaults.
“Several attacks on military bases in Operation Hadin Kai by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana around 10:30 pm last night while in Marte town around 03:00 am on Friday, the attacks on military bases keep increasing on a daily basis within the North East operation,” a military source told SaharaReporters.
“One is along Bama and close to Maiduguri, I mean the base attacked in Konduga, while Mainok and Jakana town are both along Maiduguri/Damaturu road. Marte town, where another base was attacked, is after Dikwa Local Government Area, close to the Chad border.
“During these different attacks, many Boko Haram members were killed, including their commanders. I don’t have the actual numbers of soldiers killed as well, but the terrorists took over some of these bases for hours without air support from the Nigerian Air Force.
“As they usually do, they burned the camps with all the military equipment.”
The latest development comes less than 24 hours after Boko Haram insurgents reportedly killed an unspecified number of civilians and abducted several women during an attack on a military post in Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The newspaper had earlier reported that the terrorists first attacked the military base before turning their assault on residents at about 1am on Wednesday.
The militants were said to have stormed the 82 Div TF Battalion under 26 BDE and also attacked a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the community.
Earlier this month, several soldiers, including a Major identified as Ibrahim Mairiga, were killed during an attack on the Forward Base operations at Banki junction along the Bama/Gwaza Road in the state.
“An attack at Forward Base operations at Banki junction around 0400hrs by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists led to the death of an Army Major and many other soldiers this morning. Their corpses are being transferred to 7 Div military hospital in Maiduguri,” a high-ranking source said.
In February, another military base in Jakana, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, also came under attack. During that incident, the attackers reportedly burnt armoured tanks and military vehicles while taking away an unspecified amount of ammunition.
“An attack occurred this morning, 06/02/2025, at an Army outpost along Maiduguri/Damaturu Road, Jakana town, by Boko Haram terrorists, with many casualties recorded on our side,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
A few days before that incident, seven soldiers, including a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel, were killed in an ambush by the insurgents.
The newspaper reported that Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed was leading a troop of soldiers from Maiduguri to Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State when they were attacked by insurgents on Monday, January 26, 2025.
According to military sources, the attackers used explosives and heavy gunfire during the ambush.
Apart from the bodies already recovered, several other soldiers sustained serious injuries, while the whereabouts of an unspecified number of personnel remain unknown.
(SAHARA REPORTERS)
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