Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills 8 Soldiers in New Raid

Local Editor

At least eight soldiers were killed in heavy fighting when Boko Haram raided a military camp and looted food from villagers in northeast Nigeria, a military source disclosed on Thursday.

The attack in Sasawa village, some 45 kilometers from the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, happened at about 5:00 pm on Tuesday.

It was the third Boko Haram attack on the military in the remote region in the last two weeks, after a relative lull during the rainy season, which ended last month.

The spokesman for 3 Division Nigerian Army in Damaturu, Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, on Wednesday confirmed the attack, saying only that there were "casualties on both sides".

But a military commander in the city said the death toll had risen.

"So far we lost eight men in the Boko Haram terrorist attack on the 233 Battalion in Sasawa village: seven soldiers and the field officer," he said on condition of anonymity.

In parallel, he added: "Their bodies have been recovered. But many others are still missing. It is not clear whether they are dead or alive."

Boko Haram attacks on military bases were a frequent tactic as the group gained in size and strength, using the weapons and ammunition seized to capture swathes of territory.

But such attacks and hit-and-run raids on remote villages reduced drastically after 2014, as a military counter-offensive was launched.

The government in Abuja maintains the fight-back has left the extremists a spent force.

Source: News agencies, Edited by website team