Islamist militants raid Nigerian army base, kill commander and six soldiers

By Ahmed Kingimi

MAIDUGURI, ‌Nigeria, April ​13 (Reuters) - ​Islamist militants riding motorbikes stormed an army base near Nigeria's northeastern border with Chad, killing ‌the commander and six other soldiers late on ⁠Sunday, two military sources said.

The assault was by members of ‌Boko Haram and its ‌splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province, the sources told Reuters, and came days after a string ​of coordinated attacks nL8N40S1BQ on military positions in other parts of Borno State.

Insurgents have ramped up ⁠attacks nL1N3ZX0VD on overstretched bases and looted weapons across the region, piling ​pressure on the government and President Bola Tinubu who has vowed to end years ​of violence.

Those killed late on ‌Sunday included the base commander who was weeks from retirement and six other soldiers ⁠whose vehicle struck an improvised mine while heading to reinforce troops during the attack, the sources said.

At least 12 ⁠militants were killed in a gunfight during the attack on ​the 242 Battalion barracks in Monguno, the sources added, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Militants ‌have waged a 17-year insurgency seeking to carve out an Islamic state in ‌northeast Nigeria, killing thousands and displacing at least 2 ⁠million people, aid groups ‌say, despite major ​military campaigns.

(Additional reporting by Adewale Kolawole in Maiduguri; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Andrew ‌Heavens)

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