This archive report was first published on 11 September 2019.
At least several Nigerian soldiers lost their lives in a brutal ambush by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the country's conflict-ridden northeast region.
The attack occurred on Monday when ISWAP fighters opened fire with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades on a military convoy as it traveled to the town of Gudumbali in Borno state.
According to security sources, the convoy was on its way to reinforce coalition forces from Nigeria and Chad for a major offensive to liberate the town from the jihadists.
ISWAP has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that its fighters killed or wounded dozens of troops.
"We lost several soldiers, vehicles and weapons to the terrorists in the attack," said a security source, who wished to remain anonymous.
The attack is the latest in a series of assaults by ISWAP on military bases in the region, which has been plagued by a decade-long insurgency by Boko Haram.
ISWAP has targeted dozens of military bases since last year, killing scores of soldiers, part of a wider Islamist militant insurgency that has raged in Nigeria for a decade.
Published on September 11, 2019, at 2:54 PM EAT.
