At least 27 Nigerian soldiers lost their lives in a jihadist suicide attack in the northeast, according to two Army sources who spoke to AFP on Sunday.
On Friday, troops initiated a ground offensive aimed at a stronghold of Islamic State-affiliated militants in a wasteland straddling Borno and Yobe states.
“The suicide attack claimed the lives of 27 soldiers, including the commander, and left several others seriously injured,” said a military officer, marking it as one of the deadliest suicide attacks targeting soldiers in recent years.
“It was dark, making it difficult for the troops to assess their surroundings accurately,” another officer remarked about the attack that occurred around 2030 GMT. He warned that the death toll could rise, as some of the wounded were in a “critical condition”.
A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle, hidden among dense foliage, into a convoy of advancing troops engaged in operations against the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, according to the two military officers.
Both officers requested anonymity as they were not authorised to comment on the incident.
Nigerian military officials were unavailable for comment regarding the attack.
ISWAP separated from mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 and has since become the dominant militant faction in the northeast.
They usurped territories previously under Boko Haram control, including the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest, which has transformed from a game reserve into a jihadist stronghold.
The group is infamous for deploying roadside mines and rigging vehicles with explosives to target military personnel.
In July last year, seven soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck a landmine in a village where ISWAP operates.
This ongoing 15-year conflict has resulted in approximately 40,000 deaths and displaced around two million people from their homes in the northeast.
The violence has also encroached upon neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting the establishment of a regional force to combat the militants.
AFP
