Six Nigerian soldiers lost their lives during a brazen militant assault on a military base in northeastern Nigeria.
The attackers, linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), struck the Sabon Gari base in Borno State’s Damboa district before dawn on Sunday.
Riding in trucks and motorcycles, the ISWAP fighters launched a coordinated attack, overwhelming the base with firepower, military sources confirmed.
Islamic State-linked raid kills six soldiers in Nigeria
Amid fierce combat, the militants set fire to military vehicles and the base itself, forcing the troops to withdraw.
“We lost six soldiers in the ISWAP terrorists’ attack after an intense gun battle,” said one officer who requested anonymity.
As the militants retreated, fighter jets from Maiduguri, 100 kilometers away, launched airstrikes, targeting the fleeing insurgents.
The air raids reportedly inflicted significant casualties, destroying vehicles and weaponry, though exact militant losses remain unconfirmed.
Since 2009, Nigeria’s northeast has endured violence from groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, leaving over 40,000 dead.
The prolonged conflict has displaced nearly two million people, deepening a humanitarian crisis in the region.
Last November, ISWAP fighters killed five troops and injured ten more during a similar raid near the Niger border.
