Nigeria: Nine Soldiers Killed and Dozens Missing in ISWAP Attack

Nigeria: Nine Soldiers Killed and Dozens Missing in ISWAP Attack
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At least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed and more than ten others are missing following an ambush carried out by militants affiliated with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in northeastern Nigeria, Arab News reported.

The attack took place near the town of Damasak in Borno State, close to the border with Niger, when armed militants targeted a foot patrol of more than 30 soldiers using heavy weapons and explosives.

An army officer, speaking to Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity, said that nine soldiers were killed in the ambush and that several others remain unaccounted for. He added that intense gunfire forced the troops to disperse about 25 kilometers from their base.

A spokesperson for a local self-defense group working alongside the Nigerian military against extremist groups in the region confirmed the death toll.

The Nigerian army has so far declined to issue an official comment on the incident.

The attack comes amid intensified ground operations by the military in recent weeks against ISWAP fighters, particularly in the Sambisa Forest, which is considered one of the group’s main strongholds.

According to the United Nations, extremist violence in northeastern Nigeria since 2009 has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and displaced around two million people.