A senior Nigerian Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Farouq, has been killed during an attack by Boko Haram insurgents on a military base in Borno State.
According to security sources, the terrorists overran the base during the assault, forcing troops to retreat while several military vehicles were set on fire and ammunition taken by the attackers.
The incident occurred in Kukawa town, where fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram, launched a coordinated offensive on Sunday.
Sources confirmed on Monday that Lieutenant Colonel Farouq, who served as the commanding officer at the base, was among those killed in the attack.
The development came less than three days after another senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel SI Iliyasu, the Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion, was killed alongside some soldiers during a separate insurgent attack in Konduga, also in Borno State.
Security sources revealed that insurgents have intensified attacks on military formations across the North-East in recent months.
Between late Thursday night and early Friday morning, insurgents carried out coordinated assaults on multiple military bases in Konduga, Mainok, Jakana, and Marte.
During the attacks, gunmen reportedly fired heavily at the military facilities, causing casualties among troops and damaging equipment, including armoured vehicles and tanks.
The attackers were said to have operated in different groups, temporarily taking control of some of the bases and looting large quantities of ammunition before withdrawing.
However, soldiers reportedly fought back and killed several insurgents during the clashes.
The renewed attacks highlight the growing security challenges faced by troops operating under Operation Hadin Kai in Nigeria’s North-East region.
