Fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Friday night ambushed a Nigerian military convoy in Borno State, reportedly abducting a serving general and killing several soldiers, including members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
According to a report by HumAngle, the senior officer kidnapped is a brigade commander who was said to be leading the troops during the operation. If confirmed, this will be the first recorded incident of any extremist group in Nigeria successfully capturing a serving General directly from the frontline.
While insurgents have, in the past, killed senior military officers in various theatres of operation, abductions of high-ranking commanders remain extremely rare.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army has not released an official statement on the attack, and the exact number of casualties remains unclear. Repeated enquiries sent to the Army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Onyechi Anele, had not been answered.
The attack underscores the persistent security challenges confronting troops battling insurgents across the North-East, despite ongoing military operations aimed at degrading the terror group’s capabilities.
Details later…
