No fewer than seven soldiers of the Nigerian Army have been confirmed dead after their vehicle struck an explosive in the Mugunu area of Maiduguri, Borno State.
The incident occurred early Thursday morning when the vehicle reportedly hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) believed to have been planted by Boko Haram along the Gamboru Ngala-Maiduguri Road.
According to SaharaReporters, the army received a distress call early Thursday regarding a Boko Haram attack on a neighboring community.
In response, the commandant ordered the deployment of three vehicles carrying armed soldiers to assist the community.
Tragically, one of the vehicles struck an Electro-Explosive Device (EED) in the Moguno area, resulting in the death of all but one soldier on board.
Distressing videos and images depict soldiers grappling with the harrowing task of recovering and reassembling the dismembered remains of their comrades.
A military source stated, “They were activated to respond to a neighboring community under attack by Boko Haram. The commandant ordered their departure around 5 am in a convoy.
“The first and second vehicles passed without incident; his was the third. Then the IED exploded, scattering all of them in the vehicle. There were seven.”
The source added that the remains of the deceased soldiers are being collected and identified prior to notifying their families.
At the time of this report, the identities of the deceased had not been fully disclosed.
