One Nigerian soldier has been confirmed dead, while two others remain missing after armed men attacked troops deployed to protect farmers in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the incident reportedly occurred on Monday during a security operation in a bush path within Takum, an area known for recurring militia-related violence.
According to counterinsurgency-focused platform Zagazola Makama, the troops were ambushed while carrying out an escort assignment.
Security sources said the soldiers, drawn from a special forces unit and operating alongside police personnel, had been deployed to safeguard Tiv farmers harvesting their produce when suspected local militia launched the attack.
The report added that soldiers later secured the venue of an election involving executives of Miyetti Allah at the FGR Samsokwa Hall in Takum, where some male officials of the association were arrested.
However, authorities have not confirmed whether those detained had any connection to the attack on the troops.
The latest incident adds to a growing list of violent attacks linked to militia activity in parts of Taraba State, particularly in areas affected by long-standing communal tensions.
Earlier this month, no fewer than 17 people were reportedly killed when suspected Jukun militia attacked internally displaced persons returning to Tse Ajogo village in Wukari Local Government Area. At least eight others sustained injuries during the assault.
Local sources said the attack happened in the early hours of the morning and involved coordinated violence against residents and returning IDPs, with several houses also destroyed.
It was gathered that the Tse Ajogo incident marked the second attack on returning displaced persons in the community within two months, raising fresh concerns over the safety of resettlement efforts in the area.
