At least 20 Nigerian soldiers are reportedly unaccounted for following a deadly pre-dawn attack on a military formation in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State by suspected ISWAP fighters.
The brazen assault, which occurred early Monday, saw the insurgents overrun the base, looting the armoury and forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes to neighbouring Dikwa, in what is now one of the most daring offensives by the group in recent months.
A security source disclosed to LEADERSHIP that many soldiers were either abducted or wounded during the raid, while four personnel were confirmed killed.
“As of this morning, about 20 soldiers are still missing. They are yet to return after yesterday’s incident, but we remain hopeful they are alive,” the source said.
The attack, believed to be part of a renewed offensive by ISWAP, has reignited fears among locals and prompted calls for swift military action to reclaim the base and restore order.
“We are experiencing renewed attacks from the terrorists.
They are still in control of the base, and the armed forces should, as a matter of urgency, restore normalcy in the affected communities,” another source urged.
In a related development, troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local hunters, repelled a separate ISWAP attack on Dikwa in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to a CJTF member who spoke under condition of anonymity, the insurgents had deployed two surveillance drones before launching the attack around 1:00 am on a military outpost. The ensuing gun battle lasted for over an hour.
“They may have followed our troops who retreated from Marte, but this time, our military responded decisively and defended our territory,” he said.
The Defence Headquarters is yet to release an official statement on the issue.
