In a jihadist suicide strike, militants connected to the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) killed at least 27 Nigerian soldiers.
On January 26, 2025, this incident happened during a military operation that was aimed at ISWAP strongholds in northeastern Nigeria, particularly close to the Timbuktu Triangle, which connects the states of Borno and Yobe.
According to the two military commanders, a suicide bomber struck a convoy of advancing forces in the Timbuktu Triangle that was targeting the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) with his explosives-laden car hidden in dense forest.
One of the bloodiest suicide strikes to target soldiers in recent years, the attack “killed 27 soldiers, including the commander, and left several others seriously injured,” according to a military officer.
According to military authorities, the attack killed a number of soldiers, including a commanding officer, and gravely wounded numerous more. The fact that the attack occurred in the dark made it more difficult for the troops to react appropriately.
One of the worst assaults on Nigerian forces in recent memory, this episode underscores the military’s continued struggles against Islamist organisations in the area. Since it began, the long-running conflict has displaced around two million people and claimed about 40,000 lives.
