Borno Convoy Attack Kills 15 Soldiers and Civilian Task Force Members in Nigeria
Fifteen people, including ten Nigerian soldiers, killed in Borno state after a military convoy struck a landmine and faced militant gunfire.
POLICY WIRE — Maiduguri, Nigeria — A military convoy operating in northeastern Borno state struck a landmine and faced heavy gunfire, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 individuals on Saturday.
According to two military sources, the fatal incident claimed the lives of 10 Nigerian soldiers alongside five personnel from the Civilian Joint Task Force.
The service members, drawn from a battalion stationed in Gamboru, were conducting road patrols between Gamboru Ngala and the nearby border with Cameroon when a pickup truck triggered the explosive device.
Security assessments indicate the landmine was likely planted by militant fighters operating in the region.
This violent ambush unfolds shortly after a separate coordinated assault last week, where suspected Boko Haram combatants killed at least 10 soldiers and left 20 others wounded at a military base within the same state.
Reports also noted that fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province, an ISWAP faction, have been active in orchestrating these assaults against military positions.
Amid the deteriorating security conditions, the Nigerian Army Chief of Staff has traveled to the northeastern region to visit deployed troops.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
