Agency Report
About ten Nigerian soldiers were allegedly killed and one taken hostage in a clash with a Boko Haram splinter group linked to ISIS.
The incident, which occurred in Borno State, was confirmed by two security sources, AFP reports.
However, both sources spoke on condition of anonymity owing to the sensitive nature of the situation.
The clashes erupted on Monday when a team of soldiers stormed a camp of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Alagarno village in Damboa district.
“We lost 10 soldiers in the fight and one was taken by the terrorists,” a security source told AFP on Tuesday.
The hostage was seized while fleeing to safety after the troops were outgunned, he said.
“It was an intense battle…The terrorists also suffered casualties but they were able to overwhelm the soldiers,” said a second security source; who confirmed the toll.
The Boko Haram splinter group seized four vehicles, including a truck and an armoured vehicle, the second source said.
Alagarno, which lies 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the Borno capital, Maiduguri, is a stronghold of ISWAP; which split from the Boko Haram jihadist group in 2016 and rose to become a dominant force.
ISWAP has increasingly been attacking civilians, killing and abducting people on highways; as well as raiding villages for food supplies. On Tuesday, ISWAP said its fighters killed seven Nigerian soldiers while repelling an attack in Alagarno forest.
“Clashes took place with a variety of weapons, which led to the killing of seven elements and taking an eighth prisoner,” the group said in a statement; according to SITE Intelligence, which monitors jihadist activities worldwide.
The insurgents seized “an array of weapons” and vehicles, the statement said.
ISWAP claimed it killed four Nigerian troops on the same day in a separate attack near the town of Gamboru; close to the border with Cameroon. However, AFP revealed it could not independently verify the claim.
Boko Haram has waged over a decade-long insurgency against the Nigerian government. Over 36,000 people have been killed and around two million displaced from their homes; ever since the start of the conflict 11 years ago.
The violence has spread to neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the militant groups.