Nigerian Soldiers Killed, Others Missing After Borno Attack

By: Ado Sadauki

Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least nine Nigerian soldiers and left more than 15 others missing after an attack on a military patrol in northeastern Borno State on Monday, security sources and a local militia official said.

The soldiers were on a routine patrol near the town of Damasak around 2 p.m. local time when they encountered the insurgents, the sources said.

The troops reportedly struck explosive devices planted along the route, triggering a gun battle between the two sides.

Nine soldiers were killed during the clash, while several others managed to retreat to safety, according to the sources.

More than 15 soldiers, including the unit’s commanding officer, a major, were unaccounted for after the fighting, said Bukar Kolo, a secretary of the Civilian Joint Task Force operating in the Damasak and Gubio areas.

Some security sources said the missing soldiers were believed to have been captured by the militants.

“The commanding officer fought until the end but was eventually overpowered and captured, and his phone was seized,” said a local hunter familiar with the incident.

The sources said that when troops later tried to reach the officer by phone, the call was answered by someone claiming to be a Boko Haram fighter, who said the major and other soldiers were being held by the group.

A military search team later recovered the bodies of the nine soldiers killed in the attack. The fate and whereabouts of the missing personnel remain unclear.

Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, did not respond to repeated calls and messages seeking comment.

The attack comes as Nigeria’s military intensifies operations against insurgents in the northeast, pushing into areas long controlled by armed groups, including parts of the Tumbuttu Triangle covering Abima, Ajigin, Alagarno and Korede communities.

Despite sustained offensives, Boko Haram and its splinter factions continue to carry out deadly attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and limited state presence in remote areas.

Boko Haram emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 and has killed thousands of people while displacing millions across Nigeria and neighboring countries. The group later split, with one faction aligning with the Islamic State to form the Islamic State West Africa Province, which has increasingly targeted military positions in recent years.