At least 17 people, including a soldier and aid worker, were killed in Rann and Ajiri in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria, as the Armed Forces of Nigeria troops flush out Islamic State for West Africa (ISWAP) terrorists from the two communities.
On Monday, the terrorists, in their hundreds, had invaded Rann, which is located at the border with Cameroon. They stormed the Nigerian Army base. The troops retreated and the terrorists occupied the town for several hours before they were routed out.
Residents of Rann took refuge as they moved in exodus towards Cameroon before ground troops reclaimed the town with Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aerial support.
According to a source, the heavily armed terrorists “came in around 1:30am (00:30 GMT) on foot like a swarm of locusts and overwhelmed soldiers who had to abandon their base.
“The insurgents killed 11 people in the attack.”
He said that the jihadists stole weapons before setting fire to buildings and vehicles.
A United Nations confirmed that a soldier and a local volunteer with a foreign aid agency were among the dead.
The Nigerian military confirmed the attack on the base, saying troops restored calm after they were initially dislodged.
Earlier on Monday, the jihadists attacked nearby Ajiri town, killing six residents.
Rann, home to 35,000 people displaced by the jihadist violence, has been repeatedly targeted by ISWAP and rival Boko Haram.
In May, ISWAP attacked the town and killed 35 people, including five troops and 15 militia members.