At least 15 people, including 10 Nigerian soldiers, were killed after a military convoy hit a landmine and was subsequently attacked by gunmen in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state, Reuters wrote, citing two soldiers.
The troops, from a battalion based in Gamboru, were patrolling a road between Gamboru Ngala and neighboring Cameroon on Saturday when a pickup truck struck a mine believed to have been planted by Boko Haram militants.
Eight soldiers in the vehicle were killed immediately. Gunmen then opened fire on a second vehicle, killing another two soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, which assists the Nigerian military.
Six injured soldiers were taken to Maimalari Military Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.
A military spokesperson declined to comment, while Reuters said it could not independently verify the casualty figures.
Borno state has been at the center of an insurgency involving Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Despite sustained military operations, the groups continue to carry out attacks on troops and civilians using roadside bombs and ambushes.
The attack came about a week after suspected Boko Haram fighters killed at least 10 soldiers and wounded at least 20 others in an assault on an army base in Borno state.