A major in the Nigerian Army has been confirmed dead after fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a military patrol in Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
Sources told TheCable that the officer, who was in charge of the Damasak military base, was leading a foot patrol of about 30 soldiers in the early hours of Friday when the unit came under explosive devices and gunfire from the insurgents.
The attack reportedly caused the troops to scatter. While eight soldiers later made it back to the base, 22 were initially missing, including the commanding officer.
“From I gathered the commander of the Damask base led a foot patrol of 30 troops early on Friday. They came under explosives and gun attack from ISWAP, forcing them to disperse. Only eight soldiers returned to base while 22 are unaccounted for, including the commander, a major,” the source told TheCable.
“Someone answers his phone each time his base tries to reach him, indicating he is in the hands of ISWAP.”
Earlier reports had suggested that the major might have been captured, following claims that calls to his phone were answered by an unidentified person.
However, another security source refuted this, insisting that the officer was killed during the ambush and was not taken alive.
Efforts by TheCable to get official confirmation from the Borno State police command and the Nigerian Army spokesperson were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The incident comes less than a year after a similar attack in which a brigadier general, M. Uba, was killed by ISWAP fighters during an ambush on a convoy of soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force along Damboa Road, near Wajiroko, in Borno State.