Fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an Islamic State–aligned insurgent group, on Thursday launched a fierce assault on a Nigerian military base in Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno State, resulting in the deaths of several Nigerian soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), security sources confirmed.

According to a military source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the insurgents stormed the base in the early hours of Thursday, firing sporadically and overwhelming sections of the defensive positions before Nigerian troops and their auxiliaries were able to contain the attack.

While precise casualty figures remain unclear, the source said “many soldiers were killed” and several CJTF members also lost their lives in the onslaught. Armoured tanks and other military vehicles were set ablaze during the encounter, and the insurgents seized an unquantified quantity of ammunition before withdrawing from the area.

ISWAP later claimed responsibility for the operation, releasing a statement accompanied by a video showing fighters firing at the military facility. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified at the time of reporting.

The attack comes amid an escalation of insurgent activities in northeastern Nigeria, with several recent violent incidents involving ISWAP and Boko Haram militants in Borno State. Only days earlier, at least seven military personnel, including a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel, were killed when their unit was ambushed while travelling from Maiduguri to Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area.

The Theatre Command North East Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai has been engaged in persistent operations against insurgent camps across the region, but militants continue to demonstrate capacity to mount substantial attacks against security formations.

Officials at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja have not yet released an official statement on the Sabon Gari incident.