Landmine attack kills at least eight soldiers in Borno

Landmine attack kills at least eight soldiers in Borno

At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed after their patrol vehicle struck a landmine allegedly planted by Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, fighters in Borno State.

The incident occurred in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

According to military sources, the soldiers were inspecting members of an anti-jihadist militia clearing roadside thickets along a highway outside Gamboru when their vehicle struck the explosive.

A military officer in the region said the eight soldiers aboard the vehicle died in the explosion. Ibrahim Liman, a militia member assisting the military, also confirmed the reported death toll to AFP.

Liman said the explosive had been planted on a dusty road and remotely detonated using a detonating cord. A militia member supervising the clearing operation sustained shrapnel injuries.

However, another account of the incident indicated that gunmen opened fire on a second vehicle after the explosion, killing two additional soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF. Six wounded soldiers were reportedly taken to Maimalari Military Hospital in Maiduguri.

The differing accounts mean the full casualty figures have yet to be independently verified. Military spokesperson Captain Mohammed Goni declined requests for comment, while Reuters said it could not independently confirm the reported toll.

The attack occurred on the same day the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, visited Maiduguri following an earlier assault on a military base that reportedly killed 15 soldiers and five CJTF members.

Borno State remains a major centre of the insurgency involving Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, ISWAP. Both groups continue to target military formations and civilians through roadside explosives and ambushes.

On October 8, the Nigerian Army reported that soldiers had been killed during what it described as a coordinated, multi-directional terrorist assault in Kukawa, Borno State.

The latest incident highlights the continuing security challenges facing troops operating along routes near Nigeria’s northeastern border.