7 Killed in Ambush in Nigeria

At least seven Nigerian soldiers, including a senior military commander, were killed on Friday in an ambush by armed militants in northeastern Nigeria, according to a military intelligence report released on Saturday.

The attack took place near the administrative area of Konduga, roughly 35 kilometers from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, the epicenter of Nigeria’s long-running insurgency.

Borno has been at the heart of the country’s armed conflict since 2009, when the extremist group Boko Haram launched its insurgency. Nigeria continues to battle both Boko Haram and militants affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), whose attacks, though less frequent than at their peak a decade ago, persist in rural regions beyond full government control.

Just a week earlier, terrorists attacked a military base in the village of Ngamdu, also in Borno State, using drones and grenades, killing seven soldiers.

Since 2019, the Nigerian army has consolidated smaller bases into larger, more fortified garrisons to strengthen defense.

However, critics argue that this strategy has allowed insurgents greater freedom of movement across rural areas and left travelers increasingly vulnerable to kidnappings.

The prolonged violence has displaced around two million people across northeastern Nigeria and spilled into neighboring countries, prompting the formation of a regional military coalition to counter the threat.