Nigerian troops repelled a multi-pronged attack on a military base in Borno, killing scores of suspected terrorists…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Scores of suspected terrorists were killed when Nigerian troops repelled a multi-pronged attack on a military base in the northeastern state of Borno, according to a military official.
The suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters launched simultaneous attacks from two directions on a Forward Operating Base in Mandaragirau, in Biu Local Government Area, at around 2 a.m. on Saturday, military spokesperson Mohammed Goni said.
Goni, spokesperson for the military-led Joint Task Force in northeast Nigeria, said troops detected the advancing fighters through early-warning and surveillance systems before deploying a combat team to intercept one group.
The troops successfully repelled the attack, while a second group attempted to bypass the soldiers and infiltrate the military base.
“The second group attempted to bypass the troops and infiltrate the base but was equally met with superior firepower,” Goni said.
He said the coordinated response forced the attackers to withdraw in disarray, after which Nigerian troops launched a pursuit along their withdrawal routes.
The military recovered a quantity of weapons and other combat equipment following the clash. The items included a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher, RPG bombs and chargers, as well as a camcorder.
Goni said surveillance footage later showed fleeing fighters dragging the bodies of several of their colleagues who had been killed during the confrontation towards an area known as the Timbuktu Triangle.
The military did not provide a precise figure for the number of suspected terrorists killed in the fighting.
The reported clash comes as Nigerian security forces continue operations against militant groups in the country’s northeast, where an insurgency has persisted for more than a decade.
The Nigerian military said it would maintain operations aimed at weakening terrorist groups and reducing their ability to carry out coordinated attacks.
ISWAP has been active across northeastern Nigeria and has also operated alongside Boko Haram in the wider Lake Chad Basin. The two groups have sought to establish an Islamist state in the region and have carried out attacks across parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The latest confrontation follows another military operation in Borno last week in which about nine suspected terrorists, including a key commander, were reportedly killed and several others wounded in an airstrike targeting an ISWAP camp.
The Nigerian Air Force said the strike took place in the Sambisa Forest after security forces received credible intelligence about terrorist movements in the area.
Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said the location was identified and confirmed before aircraft carried out the operation.
“Following identification and confirmation of the target, the Nigerian Air Force aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location,” the statement said.
The Sambisa Forest has long been associated with militant activity and is known to contain major terrorist camps.
The Nigerian military has continued to combine ground operations, surveillance and airstrikes in an effort to disrupt militant networks and prevent attacks on military and civilian targets.
The latest fighting at Mandaragirau highlights the continued threat posed by armed groups in Borno, despite sustained military operations targeting their bases and supply networks.
