Two soldiers were killed as air and ground forces defended the New Marte military base.
In the early hours of Tuesday, May 27, Nigerian troops repelled a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants on the 50 Task Force Battalion in New Marte, Borno State. The assault, which began around 1:35 a.m., saw ground forces engaging in a fierce gunfight, while the Nigerian Air Force launched devastating strikes on the attackers.
Despite the successful defense, two Nigerian soldiers were killed. A gun truck and a tyre on a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle were also damaged during the encounter. Reinforcements from the 24 Task Force Brigade Garrison and the 134 Special Forces Battalion were deployed, helping to regain full control of the area.
A follow-up operation is underway to track down surviving insurgents and recover abandoned weapons and supplies. The attack is the latest in a series of efforts by ISWAP and Boko Haram factions to reestablish strongholds in the Lake Chad and northern Borno axis.