The Nigerian Army has confirmed an ambush by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on its troops in Borno state, located in northeastern Nigeria.
The attack occurred on Sunday when the armed group launched a surprise assault on a military camp in Damboa. Major Edward Buba, a spokesperson for the military, confirmed the attack to BBC News Pidgin, though he did not provide specific details about the incident.
“We have confirmed that our soldiers faced setbacks during operations in the area,” he stated. Major Buba added that an inquiry has been set up to investigate what happened, promising that full details would be provided once the investigation is complete.
Sources told BBC Pidgin that the Boko Haram sect, which is linked to the Islamic State terrorist organisation, invaded the Sabon Gari base in the Damboa local government area of the state early on the morning of three days ago. The attackers engaged in a fierce gun battle with security forces, killing several soldiers, before setting fire to military vehicles and weapons at the base.
A security source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that a number of soldiers were killed in the attack, with local media reporting that seven soldiers were killed.
The Sabon Gari military base is strategically located just 100km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
