At least eight soldiers have been killed and several others injured or are missing after an ambush on the so-called Islamic State in West Africa (ISIL) in the northeast Nigeria.
The jihadists fired rockets at a military convoy moving between the cities of Dikua and Marte, in the state of Borno, according to these sources.
“The terrorists attacked (the convoy) with several rocket launchers, killing eight soldiers. “Several others are missing,” said an official.
Eight other soldiers and a member of a paramilitary group involved in anti-jihadist operations were injured..
The jihadists snatched two military vehicles and set fire to three more.
It was about second attack in less than two weeks by IKDA against Nigerian armed forces, which are struggling to end the jihadist uprising that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people in 12 years.
Ten days ago, at least 16 soldiers and two paramilitaries were killed in an ambush, the deadliest since the beginning of the year. The IKDA, which took responsibility for it, claimed that 25 soldiers lost their lives.
The jihadists detonated roadside bombs before firing rocket-propelled grenades at a convoy traveling from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, to the fortified city of Monguno.
The group has recently stepped up its attacks on civilians on the Maiduguri-Monguno axis, which stretches for about 135 kilometers. They have set up checkpoints, snatched money and other items from motorists and killed them, according to residents.
The almost daily attacks forced the army to patrol along the road, according to sources close to the armed forces.
As of 2019, the army has closed several remote bases and redeployed forces to larger, better-guarded camps, known as super camps, to deal with jihadist attacks.
But this tactic left the guerrillas free to move more easily in rural areas and made travelers even more vulnerable to attacks.
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