Suspected Islamist fighters killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, including a commanding officer, after attacking an army base in a remote town in northeastern Borno state, according to security sources and residents on Sunday, 26th January.
Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have primarily operated in Borno, targeting security forces and civilians, which has resulted in the deaths and displacement of tens of thousands of people.
The latest assault took place on Friday, 24th January, when ISWAP members arrived on gun trucks and attacked the army’s 149 Battalion in Malam-Fatori, a town at the gateway to the border with Niger, as confirmed by two soldiers and local residents.
One of the surviving soldiers told Reuters by phone that the troops were taken by surprise as the militants “rained bullets everywhere.”
“We tried so much to repel the attacks, and after more than three hours of gunfire, they overpowered us, killing our commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel,” the soldier said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
He added that 20 soldiers had died and several others were injured.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Residents who fled the town reported that some of the militants were still present in Malam-Fatori as late as Saturday night.
Malakaka Bukar, a member of the local militia recruited to assist the army, said the militants also burned buildings, forcing some residents to flee the town.
“They preached to some of the residents,” said Bukar.
Although weakened by military operations and internal conflicts in recent years, Boko Haram and ISWAP have intensified their attacks in Borno since the beginning of the year, killing dozens of farmers and fishermen in a series of raids.
