At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed after their patrol vehicle struck a landmine allegedly planted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the incident occurred on Saturday in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.
According to TheCable, the soldiers were monitoring members of an anti-jihadist militia who were clearing thickets along a highway outside Gamboru when their vehicle hit the explosive device.
A military officer in the region confirmed that all eight soldiers aboard the vehicle died in the explosion.
Ibrahim Liman, a member of the militia assisting the military, also confirmed the death toll to AFP, saying the explosive had been planted on a dusty road and remotely detonated using a detonating cord.
Liman added that a militia member supervising the bush-clearing operation sustained shrapnel injuries in the incident.
The attack occurred on the same day Waidi Shaibu, chief of army staff, visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following an assault on a military base days earlier that left 15 soldiers and five anti-jihadist militia members dead.
ISWAP, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, remains active in the area, where insurgents frequently use roadside thickets as cover to ambush troops and motorists.
The latest incident adds to the security challenges facing military personnel operating in Nigeria’s North-East, where insurgent groups have continued to target security forces and civilians.
On October 8, the Nigerian Army said soldiers were killed after insurgents launched a “coordinated multi-directional assault” in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
ISWAP and its rival, Boko Haram, have increasingly used roadside explosives against military and civilian targets as the insurgency continues to affect communities across the region.
The conflict, which began in 2009, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
