ISWAP Terrorists Hit Borno Military Base; Troops Reportedly Killed

Fighters belonging to the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a deadly offensive on a military base in Ngamdu, Borno State, early Friday morning, leaving several soldiers feared dead and many others injured. The brazen late-night assault on the camp, situated along the critical artery connecting Borno to the rest of Nigeria, represents a worrying escalation in the insurgents’ campaign against security formations in the troubled North-East region.

Dependable NG reports that the attack commenced around 2 a.m. when heavily armed terrorists stormed the Ngamdu military camp, immediately engaging the unsuspecting troops on duty in a fierce gun battle. A reporter for Dependable NG, confirming details from reliable security sources, was told that the intensity of the assault overwhelmed the troops, resulting in confirmed casualties among the personnel and prompting a swift but urgent security response to contain the breach. The coordinated nature of the operation mirrors ISWAP’s sophisticated tactics, aimed at overrunning fortified positions and seizing military assets.

The location of the attack, Ngamdu, is of high strategic value as it sits close to the boundary between Borno and Yobe states on the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway. This highway, often referred to as the “Golden Gate,” is the only secure land route connecting the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, to the rest of the country, making its accessibility vital for the movement of goods, commercial activity, and military logistics in the entire North-East. Following the attack, the military promptly sealed off the highway, causing massive traffic gridlock and leaving countless travelers, commercial motorists, and essential supply trucks stranded for hours. This closure effectively isolates Maiduguri, underscoring the severe economic and humanitarian consequences of sustained militant activity on this corridor.

In the immediate aftermath of the incursion, emergency response protocols were activated. Some of the injured soldiers were quickly transported by ambulance for urgent medical attention at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu. The military is yet to release an official statement confirming the exact number of casualties or the extent of the damage inflicted by the insurgents, but preliminary reports indicate a significant loss of both lives and military hardware in what has become one of the most daring assaults on a security post in recent months.

The video titled Borno Attacks: 7 Soldiers Killed as Insurgents Overrun Army Bases provides context on the history and impact of similar ISWAP attacks on military bases in Borno State.