Suspected fighters of Boko Haram have attacked another military base in Borno State, killing a commanding officer and several soldiers during the assault.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday at a military facility in Kukawa local government area of the state.
Sources in the community said the insurgents stormed the area at about 12:30 a.m., launching a coordinated assault on the military formation.
According to a local source, “they stormed the town from multiple directions and launched an attack on the military camp.”
Another security source disclosed that the attackers overpowered the troops, set military vehicles on fire and fled with weapons and ammunition from the base.
“I cannot say much about the casualties but it’s very sad that we also lost the CO (commanding officer) here,” the security source said.
The latest incident comes weeks after insurgents attempted to attack the same military base but were repelled by troops, who reportedly killed several fighters during the earlier confrontation.
At the time, the military’s response was widely praised by residents, while the commanding officer was commended for his leadership.
Karta Lawan, the lawmaker representing Kukawa in the Borno state house of assembly had also celebrated the troops for their successful defence of the community during the previous attack.
However, reacting to the latest assault, the lawmaker described the development as unfortunate, noting that the base was eventually overrun by the insurgents.
The incident follows another recent attack by terrorists on a military base and an internally displaced persons camp in Ngoshe town, located in Gwoza local government area of the state, where soldiers and civilians were reportedly killed.