Nigeria’s military says at least 50 jihadist fighters were killed after government troops repelled a major attack by Islamic State-linked insurgents in the country’s northeast.
According to the Nigerian army, the fighting broke out on Thursday after militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a coordinated assault on the headquarters of the 27 Brigade in Buni Gari, Yobe state, as well as a nearby defensive outpost.
Military officials said troops backed by reinforcements managed to push back the attackers after hours of intense fighting, killing dozens of militants during the operation.
The northeastern region of Nigeria has remained the center of Islamist insurgencies for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and ISWAP continuing attacks despite repeated military offensives.
However, intelligence and local security sources questioned the military’s casualty figures, claiming authorities may have downplayed losses suffered by government troops during the clashes.
According to those sources, several wounded soldiers were transported to Maiduguri using at least six ambulances following the attack, although the exact number of military casualties remains unclear.
The renewed violence comes after months of relative calm in parts of northeastern Nigeria.
Security analysts say jihadist groups have recently intensified attacks against military targets and rural communities despite the army’s “super camps” strategy introduced in 2019 to strengthen troop protection and rapid response capabilities.
ISWAP emerged after splitting from Boko Haram and later pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, becoming one of the most active extremist organizations operating in the Lake Chad region.
The group has increasingly targeted military bases, supply routes, and local authorities across northeastern Nigeria while also extending operations into neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
Residents in parts of Yobe and Borno states have continued reporting growing insecurity and fear of renewed large-scale attacks as militants attempt to regain influence in remote areas.
The latest battle is expected to increase pressure on Nigeria’s military leadership as authorities struggle to contain the resurgence of extremist violence in the northeast.
