Eight soldiers reportedly killed in Borno patrol explosion
Eight Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed after their patrol vehicle struck an explosive near Kinuba village in Borno State, according to military and militia sources cited by Agence France-Presse.
The incident was reported to have occurred on Saturday, October 17, near Gamboru, close to Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.
AFP reported that the soldiers were inspecting anti-jihadist militia members clearing vegetation along a highway outside Gamboru when their vehicle struck the explosive.
A military officer in the region told AFP that all eight soldiers in the vehicle were killed.
Ibrahim Liman, a member of an anti-jihadist militia assisting the military, also gave AFP the same death toll.
Sources blame ISWAP
Sources cited by AFP blamed the explosion on Islamic State West Africa Province, which operates in the area.
Liman told AFP that the explosive had been planted on a dusty road and remotely detonated. He also said a militia member supervising the vegetation-clearing operation was injured by shrapnel.
Those claims remain attributed.
At the time of this report, IDNN had not located a Nigerian Army or Defence Headquarters statement independently confirming the reported eight-soldier death toll or formally attributing the incident to ISWAP.
Security pressure in Borno
The reported explosion came amid continuing security pressure in parts of Borno State.
The Nigerian military has faced repeated attacks and explosive threats in the wider North-East conflict zone, where security personnel and communities remain exposed to insurgent activity.
The latest reported incident again raises questions about explosive hazards, route security and protection for personnel operating in vulnerable areas.
The next key development is whether the Nigerian military issues an official account confirming the casualty figure, the circumstances of the explosion and any attribution of responsibility.
Until then, the verified publication position remains limited: AFP, citing military and militia sources, reported that eight Nigerian soldiers were killed after a patrol vehicle struck an explosive near Gamboru.