27 Nigerian soldiers killed in suicide attack

KANO, Nigeria: At least 27 Nigerian soldiers were killed in a jihadist suicide attack in the northeast, two army sources told AFP on Sunday.

On Friday, troops launched a ground offensive on a stronghold of Islamic State-affiliated militants in a wasteland straddling Borno and Yobe states.

“The suicide attack killed 27 soldiers, including the commander, and left several others seriously injured,” a military officer said, making this one of the deadliest suicide attacks targeting soldiers in recent years. “It was dark, which made it difficult for the troops to have a clear view of the surroundings,” said another officer about the attack which happened around 2030 GMT.

He said the death toll could rise as some of the wounded were in a “critical condition”.

A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle concealed in thick foliage into a convoy of advancing troops targeting the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Timbuktu Triangle, the two military officers said. Both officers asked not to be identified as they were not authorised to speak on the incident.

Nigerian military officials were not available for comment on the attack. ISWAP split from the mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 to become the dominant militant faction in the northeast.

They seized territory hitherto under Boko Haram control, including the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa forest, a game reserve turned jihadist stronghold.