Suspected terrorists have launched a deadly attack on a military base and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Ngoshe town, located in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State
Security and local sources said the assault happened on Wednesday evening shortly after Muslims ended their Ramadan fast. According to the sources, a large group of heavily armed militants stormed the town and targeted both the military formation and the displaced persons camp.
A security source revealed that the attackers first struck a military base belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion before moving toward the IDPs camp within the community.
During the raid, the militants reportedly overpowered the troops stationed at the base and pursued residents who tried to escape, while also attacking nearby areas and bushes around the town.
Although the exact number of casualties remains unclear, sources said at least nine soldiers’ bodies have been recovered so far, while an unspecified number of civilians were also killed.
The attackers were also reported to have set several armoured vehicles and military trucks on fire before leaving the area with an undisclosed quantity of ammunition.
Local sources further disclosed that the gunmen entered Ngoshe town, killed the community’s Chief Imam and abducted more than 100 women and children.
The violence forced many residents to flee to Pulka, a nearby town, in search of safety. One local source described the incident as particularly devastating, noting that some refugees had only recently begun returning to the area from neighbouring Cameroon.
The source also suggested that informants within the community may have helped the attackers carry out the coordinated assault.
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, confirmed that both soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the attack. He called for intensified military operations in Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains to curb the activities of insurgents in the region.
Ndume added that the insurgents may have targeted the community because they oppose the government’s ongoing resettlement efforts in the area, noting that many homes and businesses were destroyed during the attack.
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