Eight killed in IED attack on bridge in Borgu, western Nigeria
At least eight people were killed when suspected terrorists bombed a strategic bridge in the Borgu local government area of Niger State, western Nigeria, early on Monday morning, 23 March.
Police in Niger State confirmed that the explosion occurred at around 02:00, with reports reaching security operatives at about 06:30, prompting clearance operations in the area. The attack targeted a bridge along Luma road linking the Luma, Babana and Agwara communities.
Authorities said the attackers deployed an IED to damage the structure and cut off movement across this critical rural trade and mobility link. It is understood that the attack turned deadly when a vehicle travelling between nearby communities ran into the planted explosive, killing all eight occupants, including the driver.
The bombing early on Monday morning follows an uptick in militant violence across Nigeria, with attacks increasingly shifting beyond the northeast to affect other regions such as the west and south.
Recent weeks have seen coordinated suicide bombings in Maiduguri, assaults on military formations and recoveries of large quantities of IEDs in some regions of the country.
PM News Nigeria reports the resurgence in violence is "underlining what experts describe as the resilience and evolving tactics of jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP".
