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Suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have killed 15 Nigerian soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force during an attack on a military base in Borno State, according to military and local sources.
The attack took place overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday in Mairari village, located in the Lake Chad area of northeastern Nigeria. Sources said a large number of ISWAP fighters stormed the military position, engaged troops in a prolonged gun battle and eventually overran the base.
A military source said 15 soldiers and five Civilian JTF members supporting the troops were killed in the assault. Several soldiers were also reported missing, raising concerns that some may have been captured by the armed group.
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After taking control of the base, the fighters reportedly looted weapons and other valuables before setting fire to military facilities and vehicles. Troops were forced to withdraw towards Monguno, a major garrison town about 18 kilometres from Mairari.
A resident, Grema Butari, said the attackers arrived at about 2200 GMT and remained in the area until daybreak after dislodging the troops. Another resident, Ahmad Sherif, said the base was extensively damaged and suggested the attackers may have travelled from Gudumbali in neighbouring Guzamala district.
The latest ISWAP attack comes as security concerns intensify across Borno State, the centre of Nigeria’s long-running insurgency involving Boko Haram and its splinter faction, ISWAP.
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The conflict, which began in 2009, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about two million residents in northeastern Nigeria, according to the United Nations.
The Mairari assault also follows another deadly attack in neighbouring Kukawa, where ISWAP fighters targeted a military outpost last week. Around two dozen militants and soldiers were reportedly killed during that confrontation before fighter jets helped repel the attackers.
Nigeria has recorded a rise in armed violence in recent years, with data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project indicating that the second quarter of 2026 was the country’s most violent period since the organisation began tracking incidents in 1997.
