Soldiers missing as Boko Haram ambush military convoy on recovery mission in Borno

Boko Haram terrorists have launched a devastating ambush on Nigerian military personnel near Baga, close to Lake Chad, leaving several soldiers missing and others feared dead.

The troops were attacked while attempting to recover the bodies of 40 civilians killed in an earlier assault by the insurgents.

According to a military source, the ambush resulted in heavy gunfire, with reports indicating significant casualties among the soldiers.

“Our troops went in search of the bodies of civilians killed by the terrorists. We went too far, and they ambushed us—a combined team of the armed forces, including civilians,” the source told News Central TV.

The exact number of missing or deceased soldiers remains unclear, as some personnel are still returning to base, and bodies have yet to be fully recovered.

The ambush follows another deadly attack in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, where dozens of farmers were reportedly killed by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

In a separate incident, local hunters, vigilantes, and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) mobilized a recovery team of 50 people to retrieve the bodies from the previous attack in Baga.

Tragically, the group was also ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents. Only one individual from the recovery team has reportedly returned, with the fate of others uncertain.

A local civilian source confirmed that several CJTF members and hunters were killed in the ambush but could not specify the exact number of casualties.

In another attack, six individuals, including five reportedly repentant insurgents, were killed in Gwoza by suspected Boko Haram operatives.