Many Feared Dead as Boko Haram Fighters Attack Military Base, IDP Camp in Borno

Several soldiers and civilians are feared dead after suspected Boko Haram militants carried out coordinated attacks on a military base and an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources said the assault began around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, when fighters believed to belong to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched simultaneous attacks that continued until daybreak.

According to the sources, the militants overran a military facility identified as the 82 Division Task Force Battalion under the 26 Brigade. During the raid, the attackers reportedly set fire to the base, destroying armoured tanks, military vehicles and other equipment before seizing an unspecified quantity of ammunition.

After the assault on the base, the fighters moved toward a nearby camp housing internally displaced persons. Witness accounts indicate that the camp was attacked and several structures were burned.

Residents said the gunmen later spread through parts of the town, searching homes in what they claimed was an effort to locate soldiers who might have been hiding among civilians.

Security officials said the number of casualties has not yet been confirmed. Bodies are still being recovered, and some residents and soldiers reportedly fled into nearby bushland during the attack.

The latest incident follows a series of recent attacks targeting military positions in Borno State.

In a separate assault days earlier, suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a forward operating base at Banki Junction along the Bama–Gwoza road. A Nigerian Army major, Ibrahim Mairiga, and several other soldiers were reportedly killed. Their bodies were later moved to the 7 Division Military Hospital in Maiduguri.

Another military outpost in Jakana, Kaga Local Government Area, was also attacked last month. During that raid, attackers destroyed armoured vehicles and reportedly took away weapons and ammunition.

Earlier this year, insurgents ambushed a military convoy traveling from Maiduguri to Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area, killing seven personnel, including a newly promoted lieutenant colonel. Military sources said the attackers used explosives and heavy gunfire during the ambush.

Security officials say investigations and recovery operations are ongoing as authorities work to determine the full scale of casualties from the Ngoshe attack.