Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have launched a deadly assault on a Nigerian military formation in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, killing the commanding officer and several other soldiers in a fresh escalation of attacks in the North-East.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when heavily armed insurgents stormed the military base from multiple directions and overwhelmed troops stationed at the facility.
Residents of Kukawa said the assault began around 12:30 a.m., sending panic across the community as gunshots and explosions echoed through the area.
“They (terrorists) stormed the town from multiple directions and launched an attack on the military camp,” a source from the town said.
Security sources confirmed that the insurgents overran the base after a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing troops to withdraw from the position.
Another security source disclosed that the attackers destroyed military assets and looted weapons during the raid.
“I cannot say much about the casualties but it’s very sad that we also lost the CO (commanding officer) here,” one of the security sources said.
According to the sources, several military vehicles were set ablaze during the assault, while ammunition and other equipment were carted away by the attackers.
The latest attack has drawn particular attention because the slain commanding officer had only recently been celebrated by residents for his leadership in repelling an earlier insurgent assault on the same base.
Local sources said Boko Haram fighters attempted to attack the facility last month but were successfully repelled by troops, with several insurgents reportedly killed in the encounter.
The soldiers’ bravery drew widespread praise from the community and on social media, where the commanding officer was commended for his role in defending the area.
The lawmaker representing Kukawa Local Government Area in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, had also publicly celebrated the troops following the earlier victory.
Reacting to Monday’s attack, the lawmaker expressed sadness that the military formation had now fallen to the insurgents.
The Kukawa assault comes amid a renewed wave of insurgent attacks across Borno State and other parts of the North-East.
Just days earlier, suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Ngoshe town, Gwoza Local Government Area of the state, killing an unspecified number of soldiers and civilians and abducting hundreds of residents.
Local officials said the attackers descended on the town at night, overwhelming security forces before unleashing violence on residents and burning buildings.
Despite ongoing military operations under the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, insurgent groups have continued to stage sporadic attacks on military formations and rural communities.
The Chief of Army Staff recently assured Nigerians that the military is intensifying operations to curb the resurgence of attacks and dismantle remaining terrorist cells in the region.
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