By Ahmed Kingimi
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Suspected insurgents killed five Nigerian soldiers in assaults on two army bases in northeastern Borno state early on Tuesday, security sources and a district official said, less than 24 hours after another deadly attack on troops in the region.
Nigeria, which has grappled with an Islamist insurgency for over 15 years, has this year witnessed a surge in attacks by Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province in Borno, the heartland of the militants.
Two soldiers from the 24 Task Force Brigade in Borno’s Dikwa district said militants flew two surveillance drones in the vicinity before attacking the brigade’s base around 1 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Tuesday.
The base also housed some troops from the 153 Battalion in nearby Marte district, which was attacked on Monday with at least five soldiers killed.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, which coordinates the anti-insurgency operation, did not respond to a request for comment.
“We responded effectively this time, with the Nigerian Air Force providing support to pursue them. We killed many of them,” a soldier involved in the battle told Reuters by phone.
Around the same time, militants on trucks mounted with machine guns attacked the army’s 3rd Battalion base in the Rann area of Kala Balge district, 65 km (45 miles) from Dikwa, two security sources and a district official said.
Insurgents torched a mine-resistant vehicle, a gun truck and a Russian-made T-72 tank but quickly retreated when air force fighter jets arrived, said the security sources.
At least five soldiers were killed while four sustained gunshot wounds, the Kala Balge district official said.
Borno state governor Babagana Zulum said he was “more determined than ever to support the military, security agencies, and our volunteer forces in the fight to end terrorism and insurgency in our state”.
Last month, Zulum warned that jihadists, who a decade ago controlled large swathes of the northeast before they were pushed out by the military, were making gains again in Borno.
(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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