Nine Nigerian soldiers were killed, and five others remain missing following a gunfight with Boko Haram militants in the country’s northeast, military sources reported on Thursday.
The clash occurred on January 14, 2025, as soldiers were returning to the fishing town of Baga after attending a mass burial for farmers who had been killed by the rival insurgent group ISWAP two days earlier.
“Seven soldiers died on the spot, while two of the three injured succumbed to their wounds in the hospital,” one officer revealed, adding that another soldier was wounded in the firefight.
The soldiers had earlier assisted residents of Tumbun Kanta in burying the farmers killed by ISWAP militants on January 12. ISWAP reportedly attacked the farmers as punishment for entering its territory without authorization.
Local reports indicate 40 farmers were killed in the ISWAP attack, though anti-insurgency groups and residents claim the death toll exceeded 100.
Boko Haram militants, who allowed the burial to proceed, clashed with soldiers who encountered the group during their return journey. The extent of Boko Haram casualties remains unclear.
Boko Haram and ISWAP have been engaged in a bitter conflict for territorial dominance around Lake Chad since their split in 2016. The region has seen widespread violence, with over 40,000 deaths and two million displaced since the insurgency began in 2009.