15 Soldiers and 5 Militia Members Killed in Borno

Fifteen soldiers and five members of an anti-jihadist militia died when Islamic State in West African Province fighters overran a military base in Mairari village, Borno state. The Army Chief of Staff visited troops in the northeast on Saturday, days after the attack. Several soldiers remain missing, and colleagues fear the fighters may have captured them.

Who Paid the Cost

The attack took place overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in the Lake Chad area. A Nigerian military officer told AFP that the fighters “killed 15 soldiers and five civilian JTF (anti-jihadist militia) assisting the soldiers during the attack.” He said the militants “razed the base to the ground,” forcing troops to withdraw toward Monguno, a garrison town about 18 kilometres away.

Grema Butari, a Mairari resident, said the fighters attacked at around 2200 GMT and drove troops from the base after a “prolonged battle.” They stayed there until daybreak. “They took everything of value they could carry and burnt the rest along with several vehicles,” Butari said, giving the same death toll.

Ahmad Sherif, another resident, said people believed the attackers came from their base in Gudumbali, in neighbouring Guzamala district. He confirmed the “total destruction” of the Mairari base. Weapons were looted, vehicles burned and troops forced to retreat; the account gives no financial figures for the stolen weapons or damage to the base.

The military officer who spoke to AFP asked not to be named because he wasn't authorised to speak publicly about the incident. The report doesn't say how many soldiers are missing or whether anyone has been confirmed captured.

A Wider Civilian Toll

Borno is the epicentre of an insurgency by Boko Haram and its later splinter group ISWAP. The insurgency began in 2009, killing thousands and displacing millions across northeast Nigeria. The United Nations says it has killed tens of thousands and displaced around two million people from their homes in the region.

Violence rose over the past two years after easing from its peak a decade ago. Nigeria is experiencing its most violent period in nearly three decades, according to the account. The second quarter of 2026 recorded the highest level of violence since the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project began tracking it in 1997.

Five civilian militia members assisting soldiers also died in the attack. Their deaths place local anti-jihadist forces among the casualties alongside the army. The account gives no further details about the militia members or their families.

Military Response and Continuing Attacks

The Army Chief of Staff visited troops stationed in the northeast on Saturday. The report doesn't describe what he told them or announce a policy change following the loss of the base.

Last week, around two dozen militants and soldiers died in an ISWAP attack on a military outpost in neighbouring Kukawa. The fighters looted weapons before troops drove them back with help from fighter jets, military and local sources said.

In Mairari, troops withdrew toward Monguno after the fighters overran and burned the base. The report gives no account of a plan to recover the looted weapons, locate the missing soldiers or rebuild the destroyed base.