An attack on a military base in Mairari, Borno State, has left at least ten soldiers and four civilians dead. The attackers are believed to be members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
On Tuesday, the assault took place in Guzamala Local Government Area, which is situated approximately 120 to 130 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the capital of the state.
According to sources in the security community, a significant number of assailants assaulted the military base, setting up a ferocious gun battle that continued for several hours.
Reportedly, the troops resisted and killed numerous assailants. On the other hand, the rebels reportedly killed a large number of people and wrecked a number of military vehicles and assets, including CJTF and military gun trucks.
Even though he did not provide the exact number of casualties, Lawan Sheriff, the executive chairman of the Guzamala local government area, confirmed the tragedy.
Because there is no communications infrastructure in the impacted region, news of the attack took some time to spread.
There had been ongoing security issues in the Lake Chad region prior to this occurrence. In a another incident, near Tumbun Barebari, also called Abujan Ruwa, suspected terrorists allegedly took over forty fishing boats that were constructed locally from fisherman.
As one of the few local settlements that have weathered the onslaught of Boko Haram attacks, Mairari holds strategic importance. After insurgents took over the Guzamala Area Council’s formal headquarters in Gudumbali, the town temporarily became their headquarters.
For local leaders, the biggest worry has been the insurgents’ persistence in occupying Gudumbali.
Local lawmaker Abdulkarim Lawan has been vocal in his criticism of the security forces’ inability to reclaim the council headquarters. But the consequences he had hoped for from his demands for military action have not materialised.
The military and the Borno State Police Command have refrained from making any official statements.