Several Nigerian soldiers are feared dead after Boko Haram militants stormed an army base in Jakana, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State on Friday morning.
Military sources confirmed that the insurgents, linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), attacked the facility using explosives and heavy gunfire.
According to eyewitnesses, the militants arrived in multiple groups, shooting indiscriminately and setting military vehicles and armored tanks ablaze.
Some soldiers were killed, while others reportedly fled into surrounding bushes. A yet-to-be-confirmed number of personnel remain missing, and several others sustained serious injuries.
A top military source said, “An attack occurred this morning at an Army outpost along Maiduguri/Damaturu Road, Jakana town, by Boko Haram terrorists.
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Many casualties were recorded on our side, and their corpses have been transferred to 7 Division Military Hospital in Maiduguri.”
This attack comes days after another deadly strike in Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of several soldiers, including a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel.
Since the death of JAS leader Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has strengthened its presence around Lake Chad, attracting defectors from Boko Haram.
Despite repeated claims by the Nigerian Army that the insurgency has been largely defeated, attacks like these underscore the continuing threat posed by the terror group, which has been responsible for over 100,000 deaths and the displacement of millions in northeastern Nigeria.