7 Nigerian soldiers killed, others injured in Jihadist drone; bomb attack on military base

According to Agence France-Presse, a Nigerian military source said that militants from the “Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)” targeted a military base in the village of Ngamdu, located about 100 kilometers from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, early Friday. The attackers reportedly used rocket-propelled grenades and drones packed with explosives.

The source confirmed the military lost four vehicles during the assault, all of which were destroyed. A military report added that six other soldiers were wounded in the attack. The number of casualties among the attackers remains unknown.

The attack also led to the temporary closure of the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, a major route linking Borno State with neighboring Yobe State, as the Nigerian army works to clear the mines planted by the militants.

Nigeria has been gripped by a brutal conflict between government forces and jihadist groups aligned with ISIS for over 16 years. The violence has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of around two million others across the Lake Chad Basin region.

ANHA