At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed after their patrol vehicle struck a landmine allegedly planted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, October 17, in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, according to reports citing military and local security sources.
The soldiers were reportedly monitoring members of an anti-jihadist militia who were clearing thick vegetation along a highway outside Gamboru when their vehicle ran over the explosive device.
A military officer in the region confirmed that all eight soldiers aboard the vehicle died in the explosion.
Ibrahim Liman, a member of the local militia assisting the military, also confirmed the death toll. He said the explosive had been planted on a dusty road and was detonated remotely using a detonating cord.
Liman added that a militia member supervising the vegetation-clearing operation sustained shrapnel injuries in the blast.
The attack occurred on the same day the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following a separate assault on a military base that reportedly killed 15 soldiers and five members of an anti-jihadist militia.
ISWAP remains active in parts of Borno State, where insurgents have used roadside explosives, ambushes and attacks on military positions to target security personnel.
The use of dense vegetation along highways also provides cover for insurgents to launch attacks against military patrols and motorists.
The latest incident highlights the continuing security challenges facing Nigerian troops in the North-East, despite ongoing military operations against insurgent groups.
Nigeria’s insurgency, which began in 2009, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, particularly across the country’s North-East region.
