
At least 20 Nigerian soldiers have reportedly been killed in an attack by fighters from the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). The assault targeted a military base in the remote town of Malam-Fatori, located in northeastern Borno State, on Friday January 24.
A surviving soldier described the attack as lasting over three hours, with the ISWAP fighters arriving in gun trucks and overwhelming the Nigerian Army’s 149th Battalion.
According to security sources and residents, a commanding officer, a lieutenant colonel, was among those killed. The soldier, who spoke to Reuters anonymously, described how the attackers “rained bullets everywhere,” catching the troops by surprise. Despite their efforts to repel the assault, the soldiers were eventually overpowered, with the death toll rising to 20 and several others injured. Some of the attackers were reportedly seen in Malam-Fatori as late as Saturday night, with local militia members confirming that buildings were burned and residents forced to flee.
ISWAP, which split from Boko Haram in 2016, has become the dominant armed group in northeastern Nigeria. Although both ISWAP and Boko Haram have been weakened by military actions and internal conflicts, they have intensified their attacks in recent months, leading to widespread displacement and significant loss of life. The ongoing violence, which has killed nearly 40,000 people and displaced around two million in the northeast, has spread across borders into Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.