Boko Haram attack military base, IDPs Camp in Borno, kill soldiers, abduct 100

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly attacked a military base and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Ngoshe town, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing an unspecified number of soldiers and civilians.

According to local and security sources quoted by Daily Trust, the heavily armed terrorists stormed the town shortly after Iftar on Wednesday.

A security source said the attackers first invaded a military base belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion before launching an assault on the IDPs camp in the community.

“The militants invaded a military base belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion. They also launched an attack on the internally displaced persons camp in the community,” the source said.

The insurgents were said to have overpowered the troops during the assault and chased fleeing residents while ransacking the town and surrounding bushes.

“We cannot confirm the exact number of soldiers and civilians killed, but nine bodies of soldiers have been recovered so far,” the source added.

The attackers reportedly burnt armoured tanks and military vehicles and carted away a large cache of ammunition from the base.

Local sources also disclosed that the insurgents later moved into Ngoshe community where they killed the Chief Imam and abducted more than 100 women and children.

Residents said many people have since fled the area to Pulka town following the devastating attack.

“Residents have fled Ngoshe to the neighbouring town of Pulka. The attack is devastating, especially as some refugees had only recently started returning from Cameroon,” a resident said.

Another source alleged that the scale of the attack suggested possible internal collaboration within the community.

“It would be difficult to carry out such a coordinated attack without information from within the community. The Chief Imam was also killed, while over 100 women and children were abducted,” the source said.

Reacting to the development, the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, confirmed that both soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack.

Ndume called for intensified military operations in Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains, which have long been strongholds for insurgents operating in the region.

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