SAHARA REPORTERS
Six Nigerian soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn attack on their base in Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Abuja has confirmed.
The insurgents launched the assault on Sunday, arriving in gun trucks and on motorcycles.
“We lost six soldiers in the ISWAP terrorists attack on the base after an intense gun battle,” a source had said.
The attackers set fire to the base and destroyed army vehicles before being countered.
Fighter jets were deployed from Maiduguri and struck the fleeing insurgents.
In an update on Wednesday, the DHQ confirmed that 34 terrorists were killed and 23 AK-47 rifles recovered.
It stated, “Troops also recovered over 200 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition. Sadly, six personnel were killed in action.”
The DHQ said the insurgents sought to retaliate for the recent killing of their commander.
It noted that reinforcements, including hybrid forces, successfully overpowered the attackers.
The Armed Forces reiterated their commitment to ending insurgency, urging media to respect protocols in notifying families of fallen soldiers.
Since 2009, insurgency in northern Nigeria has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced millions.
SaharaReporters had reported that the attack, carried out on Saturday at the Forward Operating Base in Sabon Gari, has left the casualty figure rising as search efforts continue.
A military source on Tuesday said, “More bodies are being recovered; some died on their way to the hospital in Maiduguri, while many soldiers and vigilantes are unaccounted for, missing in action. It’s too early to tell how many people we have lost because we are still counting.
“I cannot tell you the exact number of soldiers and vigilantes or the identity of the officers killed, but we have recovered over 12 dead bodies.”
The insurgents, reportedly in large numbers, overwhelmed the base, carting away weapons and destroying equipment.
A reinforcement team from the 25 Task Force Brigade faced ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), further complicating rescue efforts.
“The FOB (Forward Operating Base) had a strength of 110 soldiers, but only about half have been accounted for,” another source stated.
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