At least eight soldiers have been beheaded by Boko Haram insurgents following an attack on a Nigerian Army base along the Mandara–Buratai Road in Borno State.
According to security sources, the attack is one of the most savage in the theatre in recent months.
Confirming the attack, military sources disclosed that the assault on the 162 Battalion took place in the early hours of Friday, exploiting heavy rainfall to approach the facility undetected.
“They attacked us at 4 a.m. on Friday when it was raining,” a source at the base told SaharaReporters, which first reported the incident.
A second military source said the attackers overran portions of the base, killing and decapitating eight soldiers before retreating.
“They killed eight soldiers and beheaded them.
Several others were injured during the attack,” the source said, adding that the insurgents stormed the position in large numbers, catching the garrison off guard.
Reinforcement teams have since been deployed to the area as authorities work to assess the full scale of casualties and retake the base. No official statement had been issued at the time of filing.