Terrorist attack in Nigeria: 20 soldiers, commander killed

Shafaq News/ 20 Nigerian soldiers, including a military commander, were killed in an attack by terrorists on an army base in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

Reuters quoted eyewitnesses and soldiers who survived the attack as saying that “the assault occurred on Friday when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants arrived in trucks equipped with rifles and attacked the 149th Battalion in the town of Malam-Fatori, a gateway to the Niger border.”

One of the surviving soldiers stated that the forces were caught off guard as “the militants rained bullets everywhere,” adding, “We tried hard to repel the attack, but after more than three hours of gunfire exchange, they overpowered us, resulting in the death of our commander, a lieutenant colonel."

Residents who fled Malam-Fatori reported seeing some militants in the town until Saturday night. A member of the local armed faction formed to assist the army mentioned that “the militants set several buildings on fire, forcing some residents to flee the town.”

Boko Haram and ISWAP frequently carry out attacks in Borno State, targeting both security forces and civilians, leading to the deaths and displacement of tens of thousands of people.

The Nigerian army announced on Friday that 79 militants and suspected kidnappers were killed in operations conducted by its forces over the past week in various parts of northeastern Nigeria.