Militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have reportedly killed a Nigerian soldier captured during Tuesday’s raid on a military base in Damasak town, Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
A military source confirmed this to SaharaReporters on Saturday.
The soldier, whose name is yet-to-be-revealed, has now joined the list of countless men of the Nigerian Army who had lost their lives due to insurgency in the North-East region.
In a video shared online by Amaq News Agency, a news outlet linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the insurgents killed many other soldiers in the attack.
They were seen shooting sporadically in all directions.
A resident, who had earlier spoken with SaharaReporters, said the gunmen came in different groups and could not be counted.
He added that some Nigerian soldiers were killed while others fled into the bush.
“Hundreds of them cam with guns, trucks, and grenades and started firing from different directions. The soldiers ran away and left us on our own. They didn’t shoot at them (insurgents) at all. Though some soldiers were killed, I can’t say how many,” he told SaharaReporters.
It was learnt that the insurgents also burnt a Nigerian army tanker and some buildings in the military base.
The attack on the base took place just days after Boko Haram fighters ambushed a military convoy in Gudumbali, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Over 15 soldiers, including the commanding officer, 123 Special Forces Battalion, Major U.I. Urang, were reportedly killed during the incident.
Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, have killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
The Nigerian military has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely defeated and frequently underplays any losses.
In the past months, soldiers have been targeted by the insurgents.
Many soldiers and officers have been reportedly killed since January 2021.
