In the aftermath of a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Damboa Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, many soldiers remain unaccounted for, according to military sources.
The assault occurred around 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Sabon Gari, when a large group of insurgents overwhelmed the military personnel stationed there.
While no official statements have been issued by the military authorities in Maiduguri or Abuja, or the Borno State government, military sources have confirmed that casualties are continuing to rise as more bodies are being recovered during ongoing search operations.
A source within the military revealed:
“More bodies are being recovered. Some died on their way to the hospital in Maiduguri, while many soldiers and vigilantes are unaccounted for, missing in action (MIA). It’s too early to tell how many people we have lost because we are still counting. I cannot tell you the exact number of soldiers and vigilantes or the identity of the officers killed, but we have recovered over 12 dead bodies so far.”
Another credible military source explained the situation in more detail:
“The attack was on the Forward Operations Base of the 25th Task Force Brigade in Sabon Gari, Damboa LGA. The base is responsible for securing southern Damboa, especially preventing Boko Haram/ISWAP activities in areas from Yobe to Chibok and Gwoza. They were completely dislodged, and their equipment was carted away or damaged. A reinforcement from the 25th Task Force Brigade along with CJTF was sent from Damboa, but they were blocked by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) planted by the terrorists.”
The source further added:
“Many CJTF were injured or killed in the ambush. By the time the reinforcement reached Sabon Gari, the Boko Haram fighters had abandoned the base, taking equipment with them. Many soldiers are still missing, and details are still being confirmed. The FOB has a strength of 110 soldiers, but only about half have been accounted for so far.”
This attack follows a similar incident two weeks ago when a nearby base in Wajiroko was attacked by ISWAP fighters using modified commercial drones for the first time in the over-a-decade-long conflict, signaling increased sophistication in the insurgent tactics.
