At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and 23 others wounded after fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) overran a military base in northeastern Nigeria, security sources said. The attack occurred on Monday in Cross Kauwa village, in Borno State, when about 70 militants arrived on motorcycles and engaged troops in a prolonged gun battle. The assailants reportedly advanced from a hideout near Lake Chad, setting parts of the base ablaze, destroying 11 military gun trucks, and seizing mounted anti-aircraft weapons before withdrawing.
The targeted base is located roughly 24 kilometres from Baga, a strategic fishing town and long-standing military hub used to block militant movement along the Lake Chad basin. The raid is part of a renewed surge in violence across the region. ISWAP and its rival, Boko Haram, have stepped up coordinated assaults on military positions, including recent attacks near Sambisa Forest and in Pulka, close to the Cameroon border.
According to the United Nations, the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million, with violence spilling into neighboring countries and straining a regional military coalition weakened by political rifts. Amid the escalation, the United States Africa Command says it is deploying about 200 US troops to Nigeria to provide training, intelligence and technical support to Nigerian forces battling jihadist groups.
