Suspected Boko Haram fighters have killed 15 Nigerian soldiers in an attack on a military base in Borno State, security sources said Saturday.
The terrorists rode into Magumeri Local Government Area and sacked a brigade there at about 6:00 p.m. on Friday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.
A captain, a lieutenant and 13 soldiers lost their lives following intense firefight with the terrorists, sources said.
PREMIUM TIMES has withheld the identity of the officers to allow Nigerian Army enough time to notify their loved ones.
Nineteen soldiers were wounded in the attack. They were evacuated to the military hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.
About 24 soldiers who survived the attack, which was first reported by Agence France Presse on Friday, left the base to a safer military facility, sources said.
Heavy military equipment, including anti-aircraft machine guns and Toyota Hilux vehicles, were reportedly stolen by the insurgents during the attack.
It was not immediately clear the level of casualties against the terrorists. The Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) had already claimed credits for the attack via its propaganda channels.
The army has not issued a statement about the attack. A spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comments on Friday night.
The attack came as the military was managing the aftermath of a similar overrun of a base in Borno on April 26. At least five soldiers were killed on that day while the dozens feared missing were yet to be found.
The attacks by the Book Haram have continued despite the efforts of Nigeria’s security agencies in partnership with those of neighbouring countries.
The Boko Haram, which demand an Islamic state in Northern Nigeria, has been largely restricted to the three North-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. However, they still carry out attacks on soldiers and civilians in those states.
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