At least 19 soldiers, including a commander, were killed in an attack at a military base in Malam-Fatori, Borno State. Malam-Fatori is a border town just two kilometres from the Nigerien community of Bosso.
Reliable sources reported that the attackers stormed the military base, destroying it for several hours on Friday, January 24, 2025. They successfully overran the 149 Battalion. Survivors of the attack managed to flee to safety.
Intelligence sources confirmed that the insurgents arrived at the base using multiple gun trucks. They set fire to several buildings and military vehicles during the assault.
Among those killed was the commanding officer of the battalion, a lieutenant colonel, along with two senior officers, including the base medical director.
The 149 Taskforce Brigade in Malam-Fatori is near the Nigerien border, close to the Lake Chad area where insurgents are active.
A military source mentioned that the attack occurred while troops were on routine operations in the Timbuktu Triangle. They encountered an ambush that resulted in the death of Lieutenant Colonel Alari.
As of now, the Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Army have not commented on the attack.
ISWAP – A Nutty Insurgency of 15 Years
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which broke away from Boko Haram in 2016, has become a leading militant group in the northeast. They seized areas that were once under Boko Haram control, including the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest.
ISWAP is known for planting roadside mines and rigging vehicles with explosives to target soldiers. In July of the previous year, seven troops lost their lives when their vehicle hit a landmine in an area where ISWAP operates.
This ongoing conflict, lasting 15 years, has claimed around 40,000 lives and displaced about two million people. The violence has also spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting the formation of a regional force to combat the militants.
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