ISWAP TERRORISTS OVERRUN BORNO MILITARY BASE, KILL FOUR SOLDIERS
Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters launched a brazen assault on a military base in Marte, Borno State, on Monday, may 13th killing four soldiers and forcing thousands of residents to flee. The terrorists reportedly arrived in large numbers and engaged troops in a prolonged gun battle before overrunning the base.
Eyewitnesses said the insurgents seized control of New Marte, a strategic town in the Lake Chad Basin, and looted arms and ammunition before raising their flag. Civilians fled to nearby Dikwa for safety, some spending the night in the bush. “We are seriously in trouble,” one resident said.
The resurgence of ISWAP activity has once again raised alarm about the group’s operational strength in Borno and northern Nigeria. Despite aggressive military campaigns under Operation Hadin Kai, insurgents continue to mount deadly ambushes and reoccupy territories.
Security experts warn that without sustained air support and better ground coordination, ISWAP’s growing territorial ambition could spark another humanitarian crisis in the already war-weary region.
