Insurgents kill eight soldiers at Borno military base

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Insurgents suspected to be members of Boko Haram or Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly killed eight soldiers in an overnight attack on a Nigerian Army base in Borno State.

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Sahara Reporters reported that the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday when the terrorists stormed the 162 Battalion located on the Mandara-Burtai road.

Soldiers who reportedly survived the attack told the news outlet that it occurred at about 4 a.m. during a rain.

The Nigerian Army has not issued a statement about the attack. However, it was reported that a reinforcement team had been deployed to the area.

A local researcher monitoring the situation in Borno said details of the attack were sketchy. However, he said it was too early to conclusively attribute the attack to either Boko Haram or ISWAP.

According to him, both Boko Haram and ISWAP now operate on the axis.

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“Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander, operates in the Mandara mountain area,” he said. “But recently, an ISWAP commander, Amir Ahmad, has been leading fighters in attacks on military targets along Bama, Madagali, and Askirita Uba axis which link to the Mandara area.”

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The latest attack comes amid ongoing bilateral military operations involving US and Nigerian troops.

Late last month, the troops killed Abubakar Mainok, a top ISWAP commander, alongside other fighters. The Defence Headquarters estimated that 20 insurgents were killed during the operations.