BREAKING: Fierce Gun Battle In Yobe State As Nigerian Troops Engage ISWAP Terrorists

The army headquarters confirmed the ongoing confrontation via its verified Facebook page on Saturday morning, stating:

The Nigerian Army has confirmed that its troops are currently locked in a heavy gunfight with militants of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Buni Gari, Yobe State, amid escalating terrorist assaults across Nigeria’s North-East region.

The army headquarters confirmed the ongoing confrontation via its verified Facebook page on Saturday morning, stating:

“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI currently in a fierce battle against ISWAP attack at Buni Gari, Yobe State. Details later.” 

The statement comes barely two weeks after ISWAP insurgents stormed Buni Yadi, another town in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe, where they killed three soldiers and looted the community’s food supplies and livestock. 

Local sources had told SaharaReporters that the attack lasted for about 5 hours, raising fresh concerns about the safety of residents in the volatile region.

“My home town came under attack overnight by Boko Haram terrorists. Three soldiers were killed, and foodstuffs and livestock were carted away. However, the army recovered three vehicles from the terrorists,” one terrified resident had told SaharaReporters following the Buni Yadi attack.

Buni Yadi and Buni Gari are less than 30 kilometres apart in the troubled Gujba axis of Yobe State, a region that has become a recurring theatre of terror attacks. 

ISWAP, a faction that split from Boko Haram and pledges allegiance to ISIS, has stepped up assaults in recent months, targeting military bases and civilian settlements alike.

This latest clash signals a dangerous resurgence of terrorist activities in Yobe, which, along with Borno and Adamawa, has been at the epicentre of Nigeria’s nearly two-decade-long insurgency war. 

The conflict has left over 35,000 dead and displaced more than two million people, with no clear end in sight despite repeated assurances from government authorities.

As of the time of filing this report, the military is yet to provide casualty figures or details of the operation in Buni Gari.