Tension is high in Borno State after Boko Haram fighters launched a deadly raid on Rann, a community in Kala Balge district, forcing some Nigerian soldiers to flee into neighbouring Cameroon.
The attack, which happened in the early hours of Monday, left at least two soldiers dead and several others injured, according to Sahara Reporters. Eyewitness accounts say the militants stormed the base, setting armoured tanks on fire and making away with an undisclosed quantity of ammunition.
A military source revealed that some soldiers attached to the battalion escaped the fierce gun battle by crossing the border into Cameroon, taking their weapons with them. “They attacked our base in Rann, killed two of our soldiers, injured many others. Those who managed to escape fled into Cameroon,” the source said.
This incident comes just months after 22 soldiers, including a commander, were killed during a similar attack on a military base in Malam-Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area.
Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram since 2009, but despite repeated assurances from the military that the insurgents have been “largely defeated,” deadly ambushes and base overruns remain common. The prolonged conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
Frustration among frontline troops has grown, with many accusing military leadership of failing to equip them adequately for the fight against a better-armed enemy.
