At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed after their patrol vehicle reportedly struck a landmine suspected to have been planted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State.
The incident occurred on Saturday in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.
According to reports, the soldiers were monitoring members of an anti-jihadist militia who were clearing thick vegetation along a highway outside Gamboru when their vehicle hit the explosive device.
A military officer in the region confirmed that all eight soldiers aboard the vehicle died in the explosion. Ibrahim Liman, a member of the militia supporting the military, also confirmed the death toll to AFP.
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Liman said the landmine had been planted on a dusty road and was remotely detonated using a detonating cord. A militia member supervising the clearing operation reportedly sustained shrapnel injuries.
The incident occurred on the same day the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following an earlier attack on a military base that reportedly killed 15 soldiers and five anti-jihadist militia members.
ISWAP, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, remains active in the region, where insurgents frequently use roadside vegetation as cover to launch ambushes against security personnel and motorists.
The latest incident underscores the continuing security challenges facing military operations in Nigeria’s northeast as troops battle insurgent groups.
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