Eight Nigerian soldiers were killed on Saturday, October 17, when their patrol vehicle hit a suspected ISWAP landmine in Kinuba village, near Gamboru and the Cameroon border, according to defence sources quoted by AFP.
Kinuba is roughly 25 kilometres from Gamboru in Borno State. In that area, the soldiers were reportedly travelling alongside an anti-jihadist militia that was clearing dense bushes next to a highway. A military officer stated that all eight soldiers inside the vehicle were killed in the explosion.
Militia member Ibrahim Liman also confirmed the death count. Liman said the explosive was left on the dirt road and set off from a distance. He added that a militia member supervising the clearing work was hurt by flying metal pieces.
Sources blamed the attack on Islamic State West Africa Province, known as ISWAP. The group is active in the area and has regularly used roadside bombs against troops and civilians. The explosion occurred while Army Chief Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu was visiting Maiduguri.
His visit came days after another attack on a military base in Borno killed 15 soldiers and five militia members, according to AFP. These recent deaths add to a long conflict in northeastern Nigeria that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced about two million from their homes. The fighting has also spread into neighbouring countries.