Two Nigerian soldiers were killed and six others injured
when Boko Haram jihadists attacked a military post near the Cameroon border,
days before rescheduled presidential elections.
Fighters loyal to long-time factional leader Abubakar Shekau
launched the attack on Sunday evening some 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from
the town of Banki.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on a pledge
to defeat the Islamist militants but despite his repeated claims that they have
been weakened to the point of defeat, attacks persist.
His failure to end the violence is again a polling issue as
Buhari seeks re-election this weekend.
“We lost two soldiers to Boko Haram terrorists who attacked
Alpha Company location…” a military officer in Banki said on condition of
anonymity.
“Six soldiers were also injured in the attack,” he said. The
account was backed by a civilian militia member in the town.
The injured troops were evacuated to a hospital in Mora,
across the border in Cameroon.
Banki is 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Maiduguri,
the Borno state capital, and houses some 45,000 people displaced by the
conflict in a sprawling camp.
Boko Haram has launched several attacks in and around Banki,
targeting troops and the displaced.
Last month two soldiers were killed and seven civilians
injured in an ambush on a convoy of traders under military escort in Chachile
village.
Boko Haram has in recent months stepped up attacks against
military targets which have been blamed on or claimed by IS-affiliated Islamic
State West Africa Province.
On Saturday, four soldiers and five jihadist fighters were
killed when ISWAP fighters attacked a base in the town of Buni Yadi, in nearby
Yobe state, the military said.
Five civilians were killed and 11 injured in the crossfire.
The conflict, which began in 2009, has killed more than
27,000 people and left 1.8 million homeless in northeast Nigeria.
The violence has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and
Cameroon.
(AFP)
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