MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 26 — Suspected fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, including a commanding officer, after launching a brutal attack on an army base in the remote town of Malam-Fatori in northeastern Borno state. The attack on Friday has again brought to the fore the continuing threats extremist groups pose in the region.

According to report reaching GistNexus, the fighters attacked the Nigerian Army’s 149th Battalion in Malam-Fatori, a strategically key town in the country bordering Niger. Gun-wielding militants riding in gun trucks had sent soldiers into shock. One surviving soldier narrated to them how militants unleashed ceaseless rounds of gunfire, adding that the troops fought back for a very long period of time.

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“We tried so much to repel the attacks, and after more than three hours of gunfire, they overpowered us,” the soldier told Reuters, speaking anonymously. “They killed our commanding officer, who is a lieutenant colonel, and at least 20 of our comrades died in the attack, with several others wounded.”

Authorities have yet to disclose the identity of the commanding officer, but sources close to the investigations confirmed that he was among the dead. The soldier added that some of the attackers remained in the area as late as Saturday night, underscoring the protracted danger faced by the townspeople.

The militants are also reported to have burned down some buildings in Malam-Fatori, forcing its residents to flee. Malakaka Bukar, a member of one of the self-defense groups that supported the Nigerian military, noted how fighters spread their ideology among the residents.

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“They preached to some of the residents,” said Bukar, who also noted intimidation tactics employed by the fighters in the attack.

The attack was the latest in a spate of deadly confrontations involving Nigerian security forces and militant groups within Borno. The two Islamist militant groups – Boko Haram and its splinter faction ISWAP – consistently conduct attacks throughout the region, targeting military and civilians alike. The insurgencies have ravaged northeastern Nigeria for about 15 years, killing nearly 40,000 people and displacing roughly two million.

The attack on the Malam-Fatori army base underlined the persistent instability in the area. Despite years of military efforts to weaken these extremist groups, ISWAP and Boko Haram have continued to mount deadly raids, particularly since the turn of the year. Over recent weeks, both have scaled up their operations, killing dozens of civilians, mostly farmers and fishermen, who live in rural areas.

ISWAP broke away from Boko Haram in 2016, which later emerged to become the dominant force in northeast Nigeria. Military operations and rival claims over its leadership further weakened the organization; however, the militant group is said to remain highly formidable throughout the region. These fighters mainly rely on the usage of gun trucks or heavy weapons as tactics of asymmetric war against military positions and disrupt civilian economic pursuits.

Since its founding, ISWAP has also spread influence to neighboring countries such as Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. This sparked the creation of a regional military coalition tasked with battling the jihadist groups. But radical groups have continued raids and kept control of some areas in northeastern Nigeria despite the presence of the Multinational Joint Task Force-a coalition of troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

The civilian population bears the brunt of this conflict as violence escalates. Forcibly displaced from their homes, thousands sought refuge elsewhere; many were less prepared and stood at the threshold of an uncertain future, particularly the ones in overcrowded refugee camps. The humanitarian crisis brought about by the unending insurgency results in general malnutrition, displacement, and very little access to primary services such as health care and education.

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The survivors of the attack in Malam-Fatori were in shock from such violence. Many have relocated to other towns and even to the neighboring country, Niger, since one cannot continue living in constant fear of other such acts of violence. Reports indicated that security forces are increasing deployment in these areas to pursue perpetrators and avoid further attacks, but the threat remains high.

The Nigerian military has not spoken on this attack and could not say when it would disclose further details about the number of casualties or what response there has been towards the assault. The tragic loss of life underlines, however, the persistent danger faced by the Nigerian soldiers and civilians in the ongoing battle against extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin region.

The attack on Malam-Fatori has again brought to the fore the protracted conflict that has torn northeastern Nigeria and its neighbors asunder for more than a decade. Although military operations have dislodged insurgents from some territories, extremist groups like ISWAP still conduct targeted strikes with alarming frequency, leaving trails of destruction in their wake.

Analysts predict that in the days ahead, security operations and calls for international intervention are going to increase in Borno state to help it come out of these larger humanitarian and security challenges. With no signs of letup by the insurgency, however, the road toward peace and stability for Nigeria’s northeastern communities remains shrouded in uncertainty.

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