An army general and many other troops were killed in coordinated overnight raids on numerous places in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno by extremist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to military sources on Thursday.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters confirmed that troops were killed when rebels attacked a vital military base in Benisheikh but were repulsed. However, it advised the public to wait for official notification of the next of kin before learning more.
Insurgents attacked the towns of Pulka and Bakin Ruwa in Gwoza district at about 2130 GMT on Wednesday, before insurgents tried to overrun the headquarters of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Benisheikh at midnight, Defence Headquarters said.
“The troops led by the Commander 29 Brigade, Brigadier-General Oseni Braimah, responded with exceptional courage and superior firepower… and forced (the terrorists) to retreat in disarray,” Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major-General Michael Onoja said, adding that clearance operations were ongoing.
However, the Benisheikh base was seized, killing Brigadier-General Braimah and several soldiers, including a captain, and damaging multiple military vehicles, according to two military officials. The accounts could not be independently verified.
After aiding in the expulsion of terrorists who had been operating in the region for almost three hours, air force aircraft evacuated the dead soldiers on Thursday morning, according to an officer participating in the Benisheikh reinforcements. The death toll, he said, was still being calculated.
Aid organizations report that despite significant military operations, the Islamist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria has killed thousands of people and displaced at least two million.
As they continue to take advantage of the region’s challenging terrain, porous borders, and minimal state presence, Boko Haram and ISWAP have increased their attacks on military sites in northeastern Nigeria this year, killing dozens of soldiers.
