Drone-Backed Militants Attack Nigerian Army Base, Several Troops Killed

Islamist militants using armed drones raided an army base in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state early Thursday, killing several troops, the military said, in the second such attack reported in the area this week.

The use of drones by fighters from the Daesh West Africa Province (Daesh-WAP) marks a significant escalation in violence in the region, military spokesman Lt. Col. Sani Uba said.

The militants struck the Sabon Gari base before dawn, storming the perimeter and briefly breaching part of the facility, according to Uba. During the assault, drone strikes destroyed several military vehicles, including an excavator and a low-bed trailer.

Reinforcements later arrived, allowing the army to regain control of the base, repel the attackers and pursue the fleeing militants, he added.

Uba said that some soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force “paid the supreme price,” without specifying casualties. However, two security sources told Reuters that at least nine soldiers and two task force members were killed, while around 16 others were wounded.

Nigeria’s military has intensified operations in insurgent strongholds in the northeast this year as part of a renewed offensive against militant groups. Despite repeated campaigns, Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Daesh-WAP, continue to carry out large-scale attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and weak state presence.

Borno state remains the epicenter of Nigeria’s 17-year Islamist insurgency, with militants increasingly targeting military convoys and civilians.