Over 40 Soldiers Killed in Coordinated ISWAP Attacks on Military Bases in Borno

At least 40 Nigerian soldiers have been confirmed dead following coordinated attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants on multiple military bases in Borno State, security sources have disclosed.

The terrorists simultaneously struck four military facilities in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana, and Marte town between 10 pm on Thursday and 3 am on Friday, firing sporadically at the installations and causing numerous casualties, according to sources familiar with the incident.

Among those killed was Lieutenant Colonel SI Iliyasu, the Commanding Officer of 222 Battalion, who fell during the attack on the Konduga base along with some of his men.

The gunmen, who operated in multiple groups and could not be counted, reportedly overran some of the bases for hours without air support from the Nigerian Air Force. They also burned armored tanks and military vehicles and carted away unquantifiable ammunition.

Giving an update on Saturday, multiple sources told SaharaReporters that more than 40 corpses of slain soldiers have so far been recovered, while several personnel remain unaccounted for.

“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 said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has since arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for an emergency visit over the incident. He is currently at the Headquarters Theatre Command in Maiduguri receiving briefings on the attacks.

Military sources noted that while the terrorists inflicted casualties, troops also killed scores of the insurgents, including some commanders, during the fierce firefights.

The latest assault comes less than 24 hours after Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military post in Ngoshe community, Gwoza Local Government Area, killing an unspecified number of civilians and abducting several women. Earlier in the month, a major and several soldiers were killed in an attack on a forward operating base at Banki junction along Bama-Gwaza Road.

Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP, have killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria over the past decade. Despite repeated claims by the military that the insurgency has been largely defeated, troops continue to come under deadly attacks, raising concerns about the effectiveness of counterinsurgency operations in the region.