At least 15 people, including 10 Nigerian soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have been killed after a military convoy struck a landmine and came under gunfire in Borno State.
Two soldiers told Reuters that the incident occurred on Saturday along a road linking Gamboru Ngala with neighbouring Cameroon as troops from a battalion in Gamboru were on patrol.
According to the sources, a pickup truck in the convoy struck a landmine suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram insurgents.
Eight soldiers travelling in the vehicle were killed instantly, while gunmen subsequently opened fire on a second vehicle, killing two other soldiers and five CJTF members who assist the military in counter-insurgency operations.
The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Six wounded soldiers were taken to the Maimalari Military Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment, the sources added.
Military spokesperson, Captain Mohammed Goni, declined requests for comment.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the reported casualty figures.
The attack came amid continued violence in Borno, the epicentre of an insurgency involving Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Despite sustained military operations, the groups continue to target security forces and civilians through roadside bombings, ambushes and attacks on military positions in northeastern Nigeria and border communities.
Last week, suspected Boko Haram fighters reportedly killed at least 10 soldiers and wounded 20 others in a coordinated assault on an army base in Borno State.
Credit: Reuters
