An undetermined number of soldiers have reportedly been killed following an assault on a Nigerian Army base in Borno State by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
Naija News learnt that the terrorists attacked the 153 Task Force Battalion base in the Marte Local Government Area on Saturday night, forcing the troops to retreat.
Reports indicate that during the assault, the assailants set fire to armoured vehicles and seized ammunition.
A Major in the Army informed SaharaReporters that communication with the base has been lost since the attack, raising fears of significant casualties among our personnel.
The 153rd Task Force Battalion has faced numerous confrontations with Boko Haram, including ambushes and the recapture of key areas such as Marte.
This incident follows a recent attack in which 22 soldiers, including a commanding officer, were killed at a military installation in Malam-Fatori, located in the Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
For more than ten years, Nigeria has been embroiled in a violent conflict with insurgent factions primarily active in the North East region of the country.
The most notable of these groups is Boko Haram, which originated in the early 2000s but escalated its violent activities around 2009, initiating a campaign of terror characterised by bombings, mass kidnappings, and assaults on both civilian and military targets.
Despite numerous assertions from former President Muhammadu Buhari that the terrorists had been ‘technically defeated,’ insurgent operations have continued, frequently resulting in fatal outcomes.
Naija News reports that the insurgency has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions, leading to one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally.
Entire communities have been destroyed, forcing survivors into overcrowded internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where they often face limited access to food, healthcare, and security.
Over time, various splinter groups of Boko Haram, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have emerged, complicating counterinsurgency efforts and perpetuating the cycle of violence.
Despite receiving regional and international assistance, including support from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the threat continues to pose a significant challenge to Nigeria’s national stability and human security.
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