Boko Haram militants attacked a Nigerian Army forward operating base in Mandaragirau, Borno State, in the early hours of Friday, killing five soldiers and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), the military said.
According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Sani, acting media information officer of Operation HADIN KAI, the attack targeted the base under the 25 Brigade of Sector 2 in Biu Local Government Area at about 3 a.m. during heavy rainfall and poor visibility.
Sani said the insurgents attempted to breach sections of the base but were met with a fierce counter-offensive by troops, who repelled the assault and inflicted casualties on the attackers.”Determined troops responded with a fierce counter-offensive, decisively frustrating further incursions and inflicting casualties on the attackers,” he said in a statement.
The military said five soldiers were killed during the fighting, while three CJTF members also died. Wounded personnel were airlifted for medical treatment and were in stable condition, Sani added.
He said troops of the Operation HADIN KA remained in control of the base and were conducting follow-up operations in the area.
However, local sources and military personnel who spoke to Punch Newspaper on condition of anonymity disputed the official casualty figures, saying more soldiers may have been killed during the attack.
A local resident and President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, confirmed to the Newspaper that the assault said multiple locations were targeted.
Military sources also said that the attackers breached the base during the downpour, leading to a prolonged gun battle. One source said insurgents pursued fleeing troops after entering the facility.
CliqMetro reports that the attack highlights the continuing security challenges in Nigeria’s northeast despite ongoing military operations against Islamist insurgent groups operating in the region.