Scores of insurgents believed to be members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed during a fierce attack on a military base in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The assault also claimed the lives of a commanding officer and several soldiers.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the attack occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on Monday when the insurgents stormed Kukawa from several directions before launching a coordinated assault on the military formation in the town. Kukawa is situated along the shores of the Lake Chad Basin.
Residents and security sources said the attackers managed to overrun the base after a prolonged gun battle with troops. During the raid, the insurgents reportedly forced soldiers to withdraw from the camp, set several military vehicles on fire, and made away with ammunition.
Security sources further revealed that the Commanding Officer of the base, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, was among those killed during the attack. Several other soldiers were also said to have lost their lives in the confrontation.
One of the sources described the situation as tragic, confirming the death of the senior officer.
“I cannot confirm the exact number of casualties at the moment, but it is heartbreaking that we lost the commanding officer,” the source said.
The latest incident comes just weeks after insurgents attempted to attack the same military base but were successfully repelled by troops. During that earlier encounter, several terrorists were reportedly killed, and the military’s response was widely praised by residents of the area.
Following the previous attack, a video circulated on social media showing the lawmaker representing Kukawa Local Government Area in the Borno State House of Assembly, Karta Maina Ma’aji Lawan, celebrating with soldiers stationed in the town after the insurgents were pushed back.
Lawan has since confirmed the recent attack, noting that calm has returned to other nearby military formations in the area, although the Kukawa base itself was overrun during the assault.
As of the time of filing this report, the military had yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
Terrorists Overrun Military Base in Borno, Kill Commanding Officer and Soldiers
