At least 14 people, including 10 soldiers, were reportedly killed on Monday following a series of jihadist attacks in northeastern Nigeria, according to local civilian and military sources.
A spokesman for the Nigerian military confirmed that several coordinated assaults targeted military bases in the region, although he noted that troops had managed to retain control of all the affected locations.
The latest incidents are part of a renewed wave of attacks on security forces, despite a decline in violence compared to the peak of the insurgency about a decade ago.
Sources said fighters from Boko Haram and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carried out separate operations across Borno State, the epicentre of the insurgency, and neighbouring Yobe State.
According to a Nigerian security report cited by AFP, ISWAP militants attacked a military base in Kukawa, Borno State, located near the Lake Chad region. The overnight assault reportedly led to the death of four soldiers, including a military commander.
An anti-jihadist militia member supporting the military, Ali Kaka, said troops engaged the militants in a three-hour gun battle, during which three soldiers and a militia member were killed.
In another incident, suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed the community of Dalwa in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, killing two soldiers and four residents.
The attackers also set more than 200 houses ablaze before retreating from the village, according to the community’s local chief, Shettima Isa Bukar.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Yobe State, suspected Boko Haram insurgents launched an attack on a military base in Goniri town, killing four soldiers and destroying several buildings and military vehicles.
A resident of nearby Katarko, Manu Ibrahim, said the militants carried out the raid before fleeing the area.
Reacting to the incidents, Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, a military spokesman in the northeast, acknowledged that the attacks resulted in the loss of several soldiers, including an officer who was killed during the battle in Kukawa.
However, the spokesman did not disclose the exact number of casualties.
The attacks come amid increasing assaults on military positions by Boko Haram and ISWAP, as the insurgency — which has lasted for over 16 years — continues to challenge security forces in the region.
The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced about two million people, according to humanitarian estimates.
Just last week, seven soldiers and 11 civilians were reportedly killed when Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and nearby Ngoshe town in Gwoza Local Government Area, close to the border with Cameroon.
In February, the United States deployed troops to Nigeria to provide technical assistance and training support to Nigerian forces battling the insurgent groups.
The deployment followed allegations by some U.S. officials accusing Nigeria of genocide against Christians, claims that have been strongly rejected by the Nigerian government and several independent analysts, who argue that the violence in the country affects both Christians and Muslims.
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