A military installation in Mairari, located within the Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, was targeted in a late-night assault by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, leading to fears of several military casualties.
The heavy engagement began in the early hours of Wednesday and lasted for over two hours. While official details remain limited, local sources report that the intense shootout resulted in losses on both sides.
Confirming the attack, the Chairman of Guzamala Local Government Area, Umar Sheriff, noted that the insurgents deliberately targeted the armed forces rather than local residents.
He said, “The incident occurred this morning around 1 am. Though I don’t have statistics regarding the casualties yet, because it’s not everything we are told. It’s a security matter. But I know that no civilian was killed.”
Sheriff pointed out that an invasion of this magnitude was unusual for the area in recent times.
“They have never attacked as much as this time, but thank God, the military were able to repel them,” he stressed.
The council leader mentioned that calm had returned to the area and planned to visit the community to assess the damage first-hand.
“The situation is calm. I will be there tomorrow morning (Thursday) to evaluate the situation,” he stated.
Despite the restored calm, residents indicated that the raid created severe anxiety in the town. Unconfirmed local accounts suggested that up to seven service members may have died, though no official source has verified the figure.
“I know there are military casualties. It was rumoured that seven soldiers were killed, but no one could verify that yet,” one source said.
Another insider revealed that the fierce resistance put up by security personnel likely inflicted heavy losses on the invading insurgents as well.
“That attack left the entire town in tension. With the gunfire yesterday, there is no way that the terrorists will not suffer casualties. Both local forces and the military stood their ground,” the source said.
Efforts to reach Capt. Mohammed Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer for the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, for official clarification were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were neither answered nor returned at the time of reporting.
