About 15 soldiers have reportedly been killed after suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters attacked a military base in Borno State on Tuesday.
Military sources told SaharaReporters that the attack took place at the Mairari military base in Guzamala Local Government Area. Mairari is close to Gajiram, the headquarters of Nganzai LGA, but falls under Guzamala.
One source said the attackers arrived in large numbers and exchanged gunfire with troops for hours.
“Many soldiers were killed and many are still missing after the attack,” a source familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters.
Another source confirmed the casualties and said injured soldiers were evacuated.
He said, “The incident happened on Tuesday in Borno State at the Mairari military base. They killed about 15 soldiers and many were injured.”
Videos obtained by SaharaReporters showed the destruction left behind. Makeshift shelters, sandbag defences and other structures were burnt or destroyed. Military gun trucks and Hilux vehicles were also burnt beyond recognition. A motorcycle was seen abandoned as troops and residents inspected the ruins at dawn. The footage showed the base had been completely destroyed and looted.
SaharaReporters said its efforts to get comments from military authorities were unsuccessful.
Guzamala and Nganzai remain major targets of ISWAP and Boko Haram attacks in northern Borno.
On October 10, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai reported killing over 40 ISWAP fighters, including a commander, in an airstrike on an enclave at Badu Village.
On October 7, troops in Kukawa repelled an attack from four directions. The Army said over 25 terrorists were killed but acknowledged that some soldiers also died.
Borno remains at the centre of over 17 years of jihadist violence that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Despite repeated military claims that the insurgency has largely been defeated, attacks continue, while the military often downplays its losses.
