Nigeria: Islamist Ambush Kills Soldiers in the Northeast
Edited By : Aya Selene
At least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed and more than ten others remain missing following an ambush carried out by fighters from the Islamic State group in northeastern Nigeria on Tuesday, security sources told AFP.
According to a military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, more than 30 soldiers were targeted while conducting a foot patrol near the town of Damasak, close to the border with Niger. The attackers, identified as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), reportedly used heavy weapons and explosives during the assault.
“We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by ISWAP terrorists, and several others are still unaccounted for,” the officer said, adding that intense gunfire forced troops to scatter around 25 kilometers from their base.
A spokesperson for a local self-defence group cooperating with the Nigerian army confirmed the death toll in a similar statement to AFP. The Nigerian military has so far declined to issue an official comment on the incident.
The attack highlights the persistent insecurity in northeastern Nigeria, where armed groups linked to the Islamic State and Boko Haram continue to target military positions despite years of counter-insurgency operations.
