Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have overrun a military base in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, killing the commanding officer and several other soldiers.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when the terrorists reportedly stormed the town and launched a coordinated assault on the military camp.
A resident of the community who spoke with Daily Trust said the insurgents struck around 12:30 a.m., approaching the town from different directions before targeting the military installation.
“They (terrorists) stormed the town from multiple directions and launched an attack on the military camp,” the source said.
Another security source disclosed that the attackers dislodged the troops from the base, set military vehicles ablaze and carted away weapons and ammunition.
“I cannot say much about the casualties but it’s very sad that we also lost the CO (commanding officer) here,” the security source added.
The latest attack came weeks after the same military base successfully repelled an earlier assault by insurgents, killing several fighters.
The troops’ earlier resistance had been widely praised by residents, with the commanding officer receiving commendation from members of the community and on social media.
The lawmaker representing Kukawa Local Government Area in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, had also celebrated the troops’ bravery at the time.
Reacting to the latest development, the lawmaker described the attack as tragic, noting that the military base had now been overrun by the insurgents.
The incident occurred days after terrorists attacked a military base and an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Ngoshe town, located in Gwoza Local Government Area.
The attack reportedly left an unspecified number of soldiers and civilians dead, raising renewed concerns over the persistent insurgency in parts of the North-East.
