Suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a midnight assault on Buni Gari, a town in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, in the early hours of Friday.
The assault came barely two days after the North-East Governors’ Forum convened in Damaturu to discuss pressing regional challenges, including insecurity, poverty, and infrastructural deficits such as poor road networks.
Security sources confirmed that the insurgents targeted a section of the 27 Brigade Tactical Headquarters situated in Buni Gari. The town lies just under seven kilometres from Buni Yadi, home to the Nigerian Army Special Forces School.
Residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP recounted how the attackers arrived firing sporadically before setting parts of the military base and several civilian structures ablaze.
Following the attack, troops under Operation HADIN KAI engaged the insurgents in a fierce gun battle. The Nigerian Army acknowledged the confrontation in a brief post on its official social media handles on Saturday, stating:
“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI are currently in a fierce battle against ISWAP attackers in Buni Gari, Yobe State.”
An intelligence source disclosed that local hunters and vigilantes supported the military in the counteroffensive, resulting in an intense firefight that lasted over an hour and forced the insurgents to retreat.
As of the time of this report, further information regarding casualties or damages sustained remains undisclosed.