Terrorists Raid Army Base in Borno State, Kill and Capture Soldiers, Seize Weapons

Terrorists, suspected to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), launched a deadly attack on a Nigerian Army base in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State on Monday. Several soldiers were feared killed or captured, while the attackers seized weapons and destroyed military equipment.

The group stormed the Forward Operating Base of the 153 Task Force Battalion around 3 a.m., arriving on motorbikes and gun trucks, according to local and military sources. The base, located 38 kilometres from Dikwa, was overwhelmed after heavy gunfire.

A soldier who survived the raid said troops were forced to retreat to the 24 Task Force Brigade in Dikwa. There, they regrouped and launched a counter-offensive to reclaim the base.

As I’m speaking to you now, they killed many of our soldiers while some were captured alive by the insurgents while we were withdrawing from the attack,” the soldier told Reuters.

A Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) member, which assists the military in fighting insurgents, confirmed the attack. He said the militants carted away ammunition and torched the army’s anti-mine vehicles. He also noted that some soldiers are still unaccounted for, and search efforts are ongoing.

Residents in Dikwa reported hearing loud and sustained gunfire. A Nigerian Air Force jet was seen hovering over the area, but it did not prevent the attackers from taking over the base.

The Nigerian Army has not issued an official statement. Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele referred enquiries to Defence Headquarters, which has yet to respond.

This attack is one of many recent offensives by Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East. In the past month alone, military positions in Sabon Gari, Izge, Wulgo, Buni Yadi, and other locations in Borno and Yobe States have been targeted. Soldiers were forced to flee with little resistance in many of these attacks.

On 25 March 2025, terrorists overran a key Forward Operating Base in Wajiroko, Borno State. At least three soldiers were killed, and several others, including a senior officer, were injured. The base housed troops under Operation Hadin Kai, a counter-terror mission launched in 2021.

More recently, 26 civilians were killed on Monday when two vehicles hit an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Kala-Balge to Gamboru-Ngala road. The victims were travelling between two communities in a region badly affected by the ongoing insurgency.

Both Boko Haram and ISWAP groups have recently increased their operations, using armed drones and planting IEDs on major roads. The growing frequency and scale of these attacks have heightened fears of insecurity in Nigeria’s north-east.

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