A new wave of coordinated attacks by jihadist fighters in northeast Nigeria has left at least 14 people dead, including 10 soldiers, according to local civilian and military sources.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian military confirmed that several military bases were attacked on Monday. However, the military said all the affected locations remain under government control despite the assaults.
The attacks were carried out by militants from Boko Haram and its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province. The raids targeted military bases in Borno State, which is the centre of the insurgency, and neighbouring Yobe State.
According to a Nigerian security report, fighters from ISWAP carried out an overnight attack on a military base in Kukawa town, located in the Lake Chad region of Borno State. During the assault, four soldiers, including a military commander, were killed.
A member of a local anti-jihadist militia, Ali Kaka, said militants and soldiers exchanged gunfire for about three hours. The clash reportedly left three soldiers and one militia member dead.
In another incident, suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked the community of Dalwa in the Konduga area of Borno State. Local chief Shettima Isa Bukar said the militants killed two soldiers and four civilians before setting more than 200 houses on fire and fleeing the area.
Further violence was reported in Yobe State, where suspected Boko Haram fighters raided a military base in the town of Goniri. A resident from nearby Katarko, Manu Ibrahim, said four soldiers were killed and several military buildings and vehicles were destroyed in the attack.
The military spokesperson for the northeast, Sani Uba, confirmed that several soldiers, including a senior officer in Kukawa, lost their lives during the coordinated attacks. He added that troops showed courage while defending their positions.
The insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP, which aims to establish an Islamist caliphate in northeastern Nigeria, has lasted for more than 16 years. The conflict has killed over 40,000 people and displaced around two million residents.
Just last week, another attack by Boko Haram fighters on a military base and nearby communities in Ngoshe, located in the Gwoza area near the Cameroon border, left seven soldiers and 11 civilians dead.
Meanwhile, in February, the United States began deploying troops to Nigeria to provide training and technical support to the Nigerian military in its fight against jihadist groups.
The deployment came after claims in the United States about attacks on Christians in Nigeria. However, the Nigerian government and independent analysts have rejected the allegations, stating that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims in the region.
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