AT least six soldiers including a colonel were killed in an ambush by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday evening.
Multiple sources reported that the insurgents opened fire on the patrol vehicle carrying the soldiers in Jakana, close to the state capital Maiduguri, Borno State.
The insurgents were said to be those of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
They launched the attack on the soldiers of the 29 Task Force Brigade who were on their way to Maiduguri from Damaturu, the capital of neighbouring Yobe State. The attack took place at about 6:20 pm.
After the ambush, the insurgents also attacked a military base just outside Jakana in seven trucks fitted with machine guns, engaging troop.
The attack was however repelled by soldiers at the base, with the suspected Boko Haram fighters abandoning their weapons and one vehicle as they fled.
The Nigerian Army has not publicly announced the details of the attack.
In June, at least 28 soldiers were reportedly killed while the insurgents ransacked a military base in Gajiram, Nganzai local government area of Borno.
The Nigerian military has made inroads in curtailing the insurgent’s operations to three states which include Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. They’ve operated across Northern Nigeria including in the Federal capital, Abuja.
However, the Boko Haram group is still able to attack military and civilians in the three states where it currently operates.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.