The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the deaths of six Nigerian soldiers in a recent attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on a military base in Borno State. The assault took place on January 4, 2025, when heavily armed ISWAP fighters launched a pre-dawn raid on the Sabon Gari base in the Damboa Local Government Area.
Reports indicate that the attackers, armed with gun trucks and motorcycles, set fire to the base and destroyed several military vehicles. In the ensuing firefight, six soldiers lost their lives. The DHQ’s statement revealed that the insurgents, retaliating for the recent killing of their commander, were caught off guard as troops returning from a patrol swiftly engaged them.
In a coordinated response, reinforcements from the Civilian Joint Task Force, local vigilantes, and other hybrid forces arrived on the scene, overwhelming the attackers. Despite this, the reinforcement team encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which resulted in the injury of the Vigilante Commander.
The DHQ confirmed that Nigerian fighter jets were swiftly deployed from Maiduguri, located approximately 100 kilometers away, to conduct air strikes on the retreating insurgents. Following the attack, a battle damage assessment revealed that 34 terrorists were killed, and 23 AK-47 rifles were seized, along with over 200 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The military acknowledged the loss of six soldiers in the line of duty and stated that their identities would be withheld until the proper administrative procedures to notify their next of kin were completed. The Armed Forces reiterated their commitment to ending insurgency and terrorism in the country and vowed to continue their relentless efforts in combating groups such as ISWAP and Boko Haram.
Since the onset of the insurgency in 2009, northern Nigeria has faced a devastating campaign of violence by jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 individuals and displaced nearly two million people in the northeast.
