Three soldiers killed, Lt. Colonel, others wounded in fresh Borno attack

No fewer than three soldiers have been killed and dozens of others wounded, including a lieutenant colonel, when fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province attacked the Forward Operating Base in Magumeri under Sector 3 on Thursday in Borno State.

BusinessDay gathered that the terrorists rode on about 60 motorcycles to storm Magumeri town, shooting sporadically before wreaking havoc on critical infrastructure.

According to local sources, the commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel and soldiers sustained gunshot wounds along with a CJTF member during a fierce gun battle.

He revealed, “It was devastating; we lost three gallant soldiers. Unfortunately, the CO was wounded and several others”, he continued. “The terrorists razed down some public structures, including the newly built ICT centre, school, vehicles and others.

Confirming the attack in a statement, Sani Uba, a lieutenant colonel and the media information officer for Joint Taskforce Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, noted that the terrorists had attempted to infiltrate the location but were repelled by troops who also neutralised scores of the insurgents.

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Uba, however, explained that the terrorist group recorded minor breaches on an isolated section of the camp.

He said, “troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in the early hours of 7 May 2026, successfully contained an attack by ISWAP terrorists on Forward Operating Base (FOB) MAGUMERI under Sector 3.

“The terrorists attempted to infiltrate the location under poor visibility. However, the terrorists recorded minor breaches on an isolated section of the camp.

“Impressively, troops fought gallantly and decisively contained and defeated the attack by neutralising scores of the terrorists,” he noted.

He stated that further exploitation of the general area revealed extensive blood trails, body drags, and the recovery of terrorist corpses, confirming the heavy casualties inflicted on the attackers during the failed assault.

He said troops also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the fleeing terrorists, including PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, AK-47 rifles, and magazines.

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“Regrettably, 2 gallant soldiers paid the supreme price in the course of the battle, while an officer and other wounded personnel are currently stable and receiving appropriate medical attention,” he stated.

He further added that some equipment and temporary structures were damaged by fire during the engagement.

“Troops are currently conducting exploitation operations within the general area to consolidate gains from the successful encounter further, while efforts to ascertain additional battle damage assessment continue,” Uba said.

The failed attack, he said, further underscores the fighting spirit of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action across the Theatre of OPHK.