Nigerian general killed in Islamic State attack

A military headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State, came under a coordinated terrorist attack on Thursday, leaving several soldiers dead, officials have confirmed

An army general and several soldiers have been killed in an overnight assault by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants on military targets in Nigeria’s restive Borno State, the authorities said on Thursday.

The militants attacked the headquarters of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Benisheikh at about 12:30 AM local time, army spokesman Michael Onoja said in a statement. He said troops responded to the coordinated “terrorist” assault with “exceptional courage, professionalism, and superior firepower,” forcing the insurgents to retreat.

“Regrettably, the encounter resulted in the loss of a few brave and gallant soldiers who paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” the military stated, without specifying how many troops were killed or disclosing their names.

Local media, however, reported that Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, was among 18 soldiers killed.

A separate statement from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu appeared to confirm that the general died in the raid. Tinubu described the “insurgents’ counterattack [as] a sign of desperation” and said the government “will never forget” the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers.

“I extend my condolences to the families of our gallant soldiers, led by Brigadier-General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our country in Borno State,” he wrote on X on Friday.

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The raid is the latest in a string of attacks in northeast Nigeria, where a Boko Haram insurgency that began in 2009 has killed thousands and displaced around 2 million people. The violence persists despite sustained military operations.

Police in Borno said earlier this week that officers had repelled attacks in Nganzai and Damasak, days after four officers were killed in an assault on a divisional headquarters in the state.

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Last month, multiple suicide bombings ripped through crowded locations in Maiduguri, including markets and a hospital entrance, leaving 23 people dead and over 100 others injured.

Nigeria declared a national security emergency in November amid the deteriorating situation. The US, which has stepped in to support Abuja’s campaign against Islamic State-linked militants, has warned its citizens against traveling to the West African country, citing terrorism and armed violence.