Nigerian jihadists kill at least 10 troops in ‘coordinated’ raids

 A series of coordinated attacks by jihadist fighters in Nigeria has left at least 14 people dead, including 10 soldiers, according to local civilian and military sources. A Nigerian military spokesperson confirmed that several military bases in the countrys northeast were targeted on Monday but said all the affected locations remain under government control.Although violence linked to Nigerias long-running insurgency has declined compared with its peak a decade ago, the latest assaults are part of a renewed wave of attacks on security forces in the region.Militants from Boko Haram and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carried out separate raids on military bases in Borno State, the epicentre of the conflict, as well as in neighbouring Yobe State.According to a Nigerian security report, ISWAP fighters launched an overnight assault on a military base in Kukawa town in the Lake Chad area of Borno State, killing four troops, including a military commander.Ali Kaka, a member of a local anti-jihadist militia supporting the army, said militants engaged soldiers in a gun battle that lasted about three hours, leaving three troops and one militia member dead. In another attack, suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed the community of Dalwa in Bornos Konduga district. Local chief Shettima Isa Bukar said the militants killed two soldiers and four residents and burned more than 200 homes before retreating. Further violence was reported in Yobe State, where suspected Boko Haram fighters raided a military base in the town of Goniri. A resident of nearby Katarko, Manu Ibrahim, said four soldiers were killed and several military buildings and vehicles were set on fire. A military spokesperson in the northeast, Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, confirmed that the attacks claimed the lives of several soldiers, including a senior officer in Kukawa. He said the troops had shown courage in defending their positions despite the coordinated assaults. The insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP, which aims to establish an Islamist caliphate in northeastern Nigeria, has lasted for more than 16 years. The conflict has killed over 40,000 people and displaced around two million others.Last week, seven soldiers and 11 civilians were killed when Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and nearby communities in Ngoshe in the Gwoza district, close to the border with Cameroon.In February, the United States began deploying troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to the Nigerian military in its fight against jihadist groups operating in the region.The deployment followed allegations raised in the United States about attacks on Christians in Nigeria, claims the Nigerian government and independent analysts have rejected, saying the violence affects both Christians and Muslims. The post Nigerian jihadists kill at least 10 troops in coordinated raids appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.