IED Explosion Kills Eight Soldiers Along Borno Military Route
At least eight soldiers have been killed after a military vehicle reportedly hit an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Maiduguri-Dikwa route in Borno State.
A military source told reporters that the incident occurred on Thursday as troops were returning from Maiduguri to Dikwa.
According to the source, the lead vehicle, a gun truck, struck the explosive device, killing all personnel inside the vehicle instantly.
“Yesterday, Thursday, the leading vehicle, a gun truck, ran into an IED on their way back to Dikwa from Maiduguri. All the soldiers in that vehicle died on the spot. About eight of them,” the source said.
The identities and ranks of the soldiers killed had not been officially released at the time of reporting.
The attack is the latest in a series of deadly IED incidents targeting military personnel operating in the North-East.
In June, three soldiers were killed and several others injured after a military vehicle hit an IED along the Marte-Dikwa road, one of the major supply routes used by troops in Borno.
Similarly, in April 2025, suspected terrorists ambushed a military convoy in the Dikwa axis, killing at least four soldiers and destroying two military trucks.
Security experts have linked the rise in such attacks to a change in tactics by insurgent groups, who increasingly rely on roadside explosives instead of direct attacks on military positions.
The explosives are often planted along routes frequently used by troops to move personnel, food, fuel and other supplies between Maiduguri, Dikwa, Bama and surrounding areas.
