Many soldiers killed as Boko Haram sacks Borno military base

An Army commander fighting insurgency in the North-East has been reportedly killed along with several other soldiers during an attack on Sunday by Boko Haram on a military base in Borno State.

The commander, a lieutenant-colonel, was feared killed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents that attacked his military base in Mainok, Borno State.

Mainok is the headquarters of the Kaga Local Government Area of Borno state.

While TheCable reported 13 other soldiers were killed by the insurgents in the attack, SaharaReporters said 30 soldiers were murdered.

Quoting a source, TheCable said the troops were overpowered by the insurgents who came with “heavy weapons”.

“They had four MRAPs [armoured military vehicles], four gun trucks and other heavy machines,” one of the sources said.

“As I speak, the commanding officer has been hit, and some other soldiers. There was air support, but sadly, the air force missed its coordinates and couldn’t eliminate the insurgents.”

Another source also said “the troops have been dislodged from the camp as the insurgents are taking over.”

SaharaReporters said the terrorists who eportedly came in no fewer than 15 gun trucks also burnt down the military base.

Another source said the gunmen came in different groups and could not be counted.

‪The insurgents also set ablaze a Nigerian army tanker and some buildings in the military base.

“The military super camp in Borno was attacked today by Boko Haram members with our men putting up a strong fight to defend base and ward off the insurgents.

“But despite their gallant efforts, the soldiers were overwhelmed because they could not withstand the superior firepower of the terrorists. So far, we have recovered over 30 bodies of dead soldiers,” a source told SaharaReporters.

The insurgents, who were said to have stormed the base at about 2pm on Sunday, disguised in a military convoy and gained access into the premises before shooting sporadically and killing the soldiers.

The insurgents were said to have operated for about two hours before fleeing the scene of the attack.

When contacted, army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, promised to provide an update on the attack later.