No fewer than nine soldiers have been confirmed dead following the detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along the 85km Maiduguri-Gubio road in Borno.

Confirming the incident on Monday in Maiduguri, military and Civilian JTF sources revealed, “Our investigations indicated that the explosive devices were planted along the road last night by Boko Haram terrorists to cause havoc on the soldiers,” stating that the troops were travelling from Maiduguri via Gubio town for an operation in the Sasawa Forest, located in the neighbouring state of Yobe, when the incident occurred.

The source explained that the soldiers were travelling from Maiduguri when the incident occurred near Gubio, the council headquarters of Gubio Local Government Area (LGA).

According to the source, the troops had initially stopped at a military outpost along the roadside on Saturday and eventually planned to continue their journey the following day, Sunday.

“While travelling from Maiduguri on Saturday, the soldiers stopped at a military camp at the roadside before proceeding with their journey on Sunday,” said the source.

The senior military officer added that some soldiers also sustained injuries from the shrapnel of the bomb blasts, including burns to their limbs and heads.

While clarifying the circumstances that led to the IED explosion, the source stated, “The Sunday attack on our troops was not an ambush by gunmen or terrorists but was caused by an IED planted along the road in the night by Boko Haram insurgents.”

The affected troops were said to be from the 145 Battalion, Damasak, under 5 Brigade of the Nigerian Army at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

The explosion reportedly occurred on the evening of Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army is yet to issue an official statement on the IED explosions, including investigations and casualties sustained from the road blasts.

Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have continued to target troops using gun trucks and improvised explosive devices along key routes and patrol areas of the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region.

In November last year, suspected ISWAP terrorists were also reported to have attacked a military convoy in the region, resulting in multiple casualties among soldiers and members of the Civilian JTF, who are assisting the military In ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Lake Chad region and forest. (The Guardian, excluding headline)

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