At least eight Nigerian soldiers killed in vehicle-borne IED attack
At least eight soldiers of the Nigerian army and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed in a vehicle-borne IED attack on Tuesday 20 January. A further 50 people were wounded.
The attack was launched by Boko Haram on a military formation in Borno State as the Nigerian army was attempting to flush out the Islamist insurgents from an area known as the Timbuktu Triangle, a longstanding militant stronghold in northeastern Nigeria.
Media information officer in the Nigerian army, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, confirmed that the attack took place six kilometres north of Chilaria while troops were consolidating at a harbour area.
It has been reported that the insurgents engaged the Nigerian army in a heavy gun battle after troops had cleared several Islamist strongholds and disrupted planned attacks with vehicle‑borne IEDs.
In a statement, the Nigerian military said troops neutralised one vehicle laden with explosives but a second breached defensive positions, killing several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a civilian militia that supports the military. A CJTF member confirmed the attack and said government forces had been outnumbered during the assault.
The Timbuktu Triangle - not to be confused with the city of Timbuktu in Mali - is a large and remote area spanning parts of Borno State and has served as a base for Boko Haram fighters launching coordinated attacks on military positions and civilian communities for more than a decade.
The Nigerian military has since withdrawn its forces from the triangle to a base in Damboa, according to sources speaking to Reuters. The bodies of those killed and the wounded were being transported to the military hospital at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri, the largest city in Borno State.
