Fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, launched a deadly attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Gajiram, headquarters of Nganzai Local Government Area of Borno State, on Thursday, according to SaharaReporters.
The militants, whose group was formerly known as Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad, struck at about 7:10 p.m., targeting the military installation in the town.
Military sources told the outlet that the insurgents engaged troops in a fierce gun battle, killing seven soldiers. “In Gajiram, seven soldiers were killed,” one source said.
The sources said the attackers briefly overpowered the base and set fire to military gun trucks and other logistics before reinforcements arrived.
“The attack was serious. Seven of our soldiers were killed. They burnt our gun truck and some logistics inside the base before air component support came,” another source said.
Troops were eventually able to repel the assailants with the help of the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, the sources added.
As of the time of filing the report, military authorities had not issued an official statement on the attack.
Gajiram lies in northern Borno State, about 82 kilometres from the state capital, Maiduguri. The town has experienced recurring security challenges and attempted incursions by insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP have killed thousands of people and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
The Nigerian military has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely defeated, and it has often been accused of downplaying its losses. In recent months, soldiers have increasingly become targets of insurgent attacks.
