8 soldiers killed as army vehicle hits landmine near Cameroon border in Nigeria

Eight Nigerian soldiers were killed on Saturday when their patrol vehicle struck a landmine allegedly planted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, defence sources said.

The explosion occurred in Kinuba village, approximately 25 kilometres from the town of Gamboru and close to the border with Cameroon, according to a military officer in the region.

The troops were inspecting anti-jihadist militia members who were clearing thick vegetation along a highway when their vehicle ran over the explosive device. Ibrahim Liman, a militia member assisting the military, confirmed the death toll and stated that the explosive was planted on the dusty road and remotely detonated by a detonating cord. A militia member supervising the clearing operation sustained shrapnel injuries in the blast.

The attack occurred on the same day that Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following an earlier assault on a military base that killed 15 soldiers and five militia members. Defence sources attributed the latest attack to ISWAP, which is active in the area and has increasingly employed roadside mines against military and civilian targets.