Islamic State-affiliated jihadists have killed three Nigerian soldiers and seized two military vehicles in an attack in violence-wracked northeastern Borno state, security sources and residents said Monday. “Our men repelled the terrorists but we lost three soldiers and two trucks,” a military official said, adding that the insurgents suffered “heavy casualties”, without giving a toll. On Sunday, ISWAP released a statement claiming it killed seven Nigerian troops and seized three vehicles in the Askira attack. ISWAP, which split from the Boko Haram jihadist group in 2016, has focused on targeting military installations and troops since mid-2018. The conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military response to combat the jihadist groups.

Source: Punch February 03, 2020 11:03 UTC