By Ahmed Kingimi and Adewale Kolawole
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, March 5 – Islamist militants killed at least 14 Nigerian soldiers and injured several others during two separate attacks on army bases in northeastern Borno state on Tuesday night, security sources said, as insurgents intensify attacks on the military.
Suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters attacked the Nigerian Army’s base in Ngoshe town, Gwoza district, killing at least nine troops and a local imam, three army sources said late on Wednesday.
The attackers, who forced the troops to retreat from their base, seized guns and ammunition before abducting an unknown number of women, said the sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
At the same time, militants also attacked another military base in Pulka, further north in Gwoza district, killing five soldiers, including a commanding officer, two other sources with knowledge of the attack said.
The injured troops were taken to Maiduguri city, the Borno state capital, for medical treatment.
Insurgents have been launching coordinated attacks aimed at stretching the military and limiting its ability to quickly bring reinforcements.
The Nigerian Army did not respond to a request for comment.
Nigeria’s military has been pushing deeper into insurgent strongholds in the northeast this year as part of a renewed offensive against militant groups.
But despite repeated operations, ISWAP and Boko Haram continue to mount large-scale attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and a weak state presence across parts of Nigeria’s arid northeast.
Borno remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency, which has killed thousands and displaced 2 million people, according to humanitarian aid groups.
(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and Adewale Kolawole; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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