Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State group launched a deadly assault on a military base in Yobe state, northeast Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 soldiers, according to military sources. The attack occurred late on Friday in the town of Buni Gari, where insurgents from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) executed a fierce raid, increasing concerns about the rising violence in the region.
In the aftermath of the attack, many soldiers are reported missing, heightening fears that the death toll might increase. One military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the militants arrived in several trucks armed with heavy weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades, and engaged in a gun battle with the soldiers before ultimately burning down the base.
The attackers not only killed the soldiers but also made off with weapons and set multiple military vehicles and buildings ablaze. Disturbing images from the scene revealed the charred remains of an armored vehicle and some incinerated military trucks. Among the macabre evidence of the violence was the decapitated body of a soldier, lying on the ground with its head severed.
This latest attack is part of a series of assaults targeting military installations in Yobe state, with Buni Gari’s base being the eighth such base attacked by jihadists in the past two months alone. Over the past 16 years, the insurgency has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people in the region, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
In response to escalating violence, Nigerian military strategies have shifted. Since 2019, troops have shut down smaller bases and consolidated into larger, fortified garrisons referred to as “super camps.” While this strategy aims to bolster military resistance against attacks, critics argue it inadvertently provides militants more mobility in rural areas and makes travelers susceptible to ambushes and kidnappings.
The recent attack follows a deadly incident on Monday when 26 individuals were killed after their vehicle struck a landmine near Rann, close to the Cameroon border—a blast also claimed by ISWAP. The group has intensified its campaign against both military and civilian targets in recent months, with over 100 civilians reported dead from attacks carried out by militants in April.
In light of the ongoing crisis, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu recently pledged to enhance military capabilities, acknowledging that the threats of terrorism, banditry, and insurgency have persisted for too long and require urgent and effective interventions.
