AT least nine soldiers are feared dead following the detonation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the Maiduguri–Gubio highway in Borno State, in what security sources described as a targeted attack by Boko Haram insurgents.
News Point Nigeria reports that the explosion occurred on Sunday evening along the 85-kilometre Maiduguri–Gubio road, a critical military and civilian route in northern Borno.
The affected troops were reportedly travelling from Maiduguri through Gubio town on their way to conduct an operation in the Sasawa Forest, located in neighbouring Yobe State.
Confirming the incident to News Point Nigeria on Monday in Maiduguri, military and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sources said preliminary investigations indicated that the explosive devices were planted overnight by insurgents with the intention of causing casualties among troops.
“Our findings so far indicate that the explosives were planted along the road during the night by Boko Haram terrorists to cause havoc on the soldiers,” a security source said.
According to the sources, the soldiers were drawn from the 145 Battalion, Damasak, under the 5 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, based at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
It was gathered that the troops had departed Maiduguri on Saturday and made a brief stop at a military outpost along the roadside near Gubio town before planning to continue their journey the following day.
“While travelling from Maiduguri on Saturday, the soldiers stopped at a military camp along the route and planned to proceed with their mission on Sunday,” a senior military source explained.
The explosion occurred as the convoy resumed movement on Sunday evening, triggering multiple blasts along the road. Apart from the soldiers feared killed, several others reportedly sustained injuries and were rushed to medical facilities for treatment.
Clarifying the nature of the attack, another military source stressed that the incident was not a direct ambush involving gunfire.
“The attack was not an exchange of fire or a direct confrontation with terrorists. It was caused by IEDs planted along the road by Boko Haram insurgents,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement confirming the number of casualties or providing further details on the incident.
The latest attack highlights the continued threat posed by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, who have increasingly relied on roadside bombs and hit-and-run tactics to target military movements across Borno State.
In November last year, suspected ISWAP fighters were reported to have attacked a military convoy in the same general area, leading to casualties among soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force assisting the military in ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Security operations along the Maiduguri–Gubio axis have since been reinforced, while efforts are said to be ongoing to detect and neutralise explosive devices planted along major roads used by troops and civilians.