At least five Nigerian soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber attacked a military position in Borno state, near the border with Cameroon, according to security and local defence sources. The attack took place on Sunday in Firgi, close to the town of Pulka in northeastern Nigeria. Sources said the assailant targeted soldiers stationed at the post, as attacks on military bases in the region continue to intensify this year.
A local resident, Umar Sa’idu, said the wounded soldiers were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where doctors later confirmed that all five had died from their injuries. The Nigerian military confirmed the incident, saying troops had identified and shot the attacker as he attempted to carry out the bombing.
“Our gallant soldiers shot the attacker when he tried to detonate the device within the position,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the army’s spokesperson in the northeast. He added that other soldiers were injured and are receiving medical treatment. Local sources said the bomber was suspected to be a Boko Haram fighter believed to have crossed from the Mandara Mountains, a rugged border area linking Nigeria and Cameroon. Another witness, Bukar Aji, said the attacker approached the soldiers before detonating an explosive device strapped to his body.
Police acknowledged the attack but provided no further details. The Pulka area has been repeatedly targeted due to its proximity to militant hideouts in the Mandara Mountains. The region has seen a rise in deadly assaults on security forces in recent months.
Nigeria’s last major suicide attack occurred in June, when a woman suspected of acting on behalf of Boko Haram killed 20 anti terrorism operatives in Borno. Earlier, in January, at least 27 soldiers were killed in a separate blast in an area spanning Borno and Yobe states, one of the deadliest attacks on the military in recent years.