Nigerian army announces repel of Boko Haram attack on military base

Nigerian army announces repel of jihadist attack on military base

Nigerian army announces repel of Boko Haram attack on military base

Nigerian troops have thwarted a Boko Haram attack on a military formation in the volatile northeast, killing dozens of jihadists, the army said Thursday.

Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in seven gun trucks and motorcycles stormed the base at Goniri, Yobe state on Wednesday evening, army spokesman Sagir Musa said in a statement.

The ambush “resulted in the annihilation of dozens of terrorists”, while many fled with injuries, he said.

Five gun trucks, weapons and rounds of ammunition were recovered from the jihadists, while their motorcycles were destroyed.

Musa did not say if the military lost soldiers in the encounter.

IS-affiliated Boko Haram has launched a series of attacks on military bases and government targets in the northeast, leaving scores of troops dead.

In a related development, the Nigerian airforce said on Thursday it had destroyed ISWAP formations at Kollaram, in nearby Borno state.

Wednesday’s attack “was executed following series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, that showed the presence of a significant number of ISWAP fighters in buildings under trees spread across the settlement,” it added.

Boko Haram’s decade-long insurgency has killed 27,000 people and displaced about two million in Nigeria.

The rebellion has continued despite repeated government claims of progress.

The violence has also spilt over into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to defeat the hardline jihadist group.