Boko Haram seizes military base, dislodged after four hour occupation

The IS affiliated branch of Boko Haram jihadists, Friday seized a military base located in Magumeri, Borno State, according to reports.

The attack is coming few days after a similar attack on troops left five soldiers dead and 30 others listed as missing.

According to reports, a column of fighters from the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province in trucks and on motorcycles stormed into the base in the town of Magumeri, 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri late Friday.

The militants were said to have overrun the base for several hours, hauling away weapons before they were forced out.

An unnamed military officer quoted by the reports said: “The terrorists dislodged troops from the base after an intense fight.

“We lost weapons and equipment to the terrorists but it is not clear if there was any human loss.”

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A civilian militia leader, Gremah Kaka said the insurgents arrived the town at about 5pm and engaged in a fierce battle with the soldiers for about an hour before gaining an upper hand, chasing the troops away.

“The insurgents overpowered the soldiers and forced them to flee into the bush,” he said.

Kaka added that the jihadists stayed in the base for more than four hours before they were dislodged by reinforcements from another base in Gubio, some 46 kilometres from Magumeri.

ISWAP intensified its attacks on military bases since July 2018 but the Nigerian military had always that there were casualties.

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