MAIDUGURI, Oct 19 (Reuters) – At least 15 people, including 10 Nigerian soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, were killed when their convoy struck a landmine and came under fire in northeastern Borno state, two soldiers said.
The troops, from a battalion in Gamboru, were patrolling a road between Gamboru Ngala and neighbouring Cameroon on Saturday when a pickup truck detonated a mine likely planted by Boko Haram insurgents, the sources said.
Borno is the centre of an insurgency led by Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province. Despite sustained military operations, both groups continue to attack troops and civilians, using roadside bombs and ambushes in Nigeria’s northeast and around its borders.
Military spokesperson Captain Mohammed Goni declined requests for comment.
Eight soldiers travelling in the vehicle were killed instantly. Gunmen then opened fire on a second vehicle, killing two more soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, which assists the military, the sources said, asking not to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Six wounded soldiers were taken to Maimalari Military Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment, according to the sources.
Reuters could not independently verify the casualty figures.
Last week, suspected Boko Haram fighters killed at least 10 soldiers and wounded at least 20 others in a coordinated assault on an army base in Borno state.
(Reporting by Adewale Kolawole and Ahmed Kingimi in Maduguri. Writing by Ben Ezeamalu; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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