A tragic landmine explosion has resulted in the deaths of seven Nigerian soldiers. Get the latest details on the incident and its impact on national security.
On Friday, anti-jihadist militia reported that seven Nigerian soldiers were killed in a landmine explosion in a northeastern area notorious for the existence of militants associated with Islamic State.
According to militia sources, the soldiers’ vehicle collided with an improvised explosive device as they journeyed towards Kukawa on Thursday morning.
Babakura Kolo, leader of the anti-jihadist militia and Ibrahim Liman, another militia official both confirmed that all seven soldiers who were riding in the vehicle died during an explosion at Bawarti village
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The primary jihadist group in the Lake Chad area, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was attributed as responsible for the attack by both sources.
For more than a decade, the Nigerian military has been engaged in combat against an insurgency in the area. This struggle has led to roughly 40,000 fatalities and displaced two million individuals from northeast Nigeria.
Despite a recent reduction in conflict intensity, ISWAP and its opposing faction Boko Haram persistently stage sporadic attacks on military convoys.
