Suspected fighters of Boko Haram have reportedly overrun another military formation in Borno State, killing a commanding officer and several soldiers in a fresh assault on security forces.
The latest attack occurred in Kukawa Local Government Area in the early hours of Monday, according to local sources.
A report by Daily Trust quoted a resident of the town as saying the insurgents stormed the military facility shortly after midnight.
“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 successfully dislodged troops stationed at the base, set military vehicles ablaze and made away with weapons and ammunition.
“I cannot say much about the casualties but it’s very sad that we also lost the CO (commanding officer) here,” one of the security sources said.
The latest assault comes barely weeks after insurgents had targeted the same military base but were repelled by troops who reportedly killed several terrorists during the encounter.
At the time, the troops’ response drew widespread praise from members of the community, with the commanding officer receiving accolades and commendations, particularly on social media.
The lawmaker representing Kukawa in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, had also joined residents in celebrating the soldiers following the earlier successful defense of the base.
Reacting to the latest attack, the lawmaker described the development as unfortunate, expressing sadness that the military camp was eventually overrun by the insurgents.
The incident follows another recent assault by terrorists on a military base and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Ngoshe, located in Gwoza Local Government Area, where an unspecified number of soldiers and civilians were reportedly killed.
