Militant attack on Nigeria army base kills at least two soldiers

Fighters suspected of being members of Islamic State West Africa Province attacked a Nigerian army base in the northeastern ​town of Magumeri, killing at least two soldiers and wounding the ‌commanding officer, security sources and the military said, News.az reports, citing Xinhua.

The assault in Borno state in the early hours of Thursday was the latest deadly attack on troops battling an insurgency that ​has raged for more than a decade in northeast Nigeria.

A military source ​told Reuters three soldiers were killed and the commanding officer ⁠was severely wounded when the militants stormed the Forward Operating Base in ​Magumeri under poor visibility.

“Three soldiers were killed in the attack while the commanding ​officer was severely injured ... and 14 other soldiers were injured,” the source said, adding that about eight militants were killed. Troops recovered 20 motorcycles, several machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades from ​the assailants after repelling the attack, the source said.

A member of the ​civilian joint taskforce, a vigilante group that supports the military, said he saw three dead ‌soldiers ⁠and part of the base on fire after the attack.

News.Az 

By Faig Mahmudov