In a devastating attack by Islamist fighters in northeastern Nigeria, three soldiers from Nigeria and Niger were killed, while at least 12 others sustained injuries on Sunday, according to two military sources speaking on Monday.
The fallen troops were part of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a coalition comprising forces from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, aimed at combatting the persistent Islamist insurgency responsible for the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions.
A Nigerian military source revealed that two Nigerian soldiers of the MNJTF lost their lives when their vehicle triggered an improvised explosive device while pursuing insurgents in the Arege area of northeastern Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.
Furthermore, the source disclosed that ten troops, including the commanding officer, were wounded in the incident, along with two civilians who were working alongside the military.
In a separate incident within Arege, a Nigerian soldier met a tragic end when the vehicle he was travelling in detonated another explosive device; however, the exact number of injured soldiers remains unknown, as stated by a source from the Nigerian army.
Confirming the attacks, a situation report from the MNJTF, obtained by Reuters, provided further details.
Efforts to reach MNJTF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kamarudeen Adegoke for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
