Jihadists kill 15 troops, five militia members in Nigeria

Islamic State-aligned fighters killed 15 troops and five anti-jihadist militia members when they attacked and burnt down a military base in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state. A large group of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters overran a military base in Mairari village of the Lake Chad area overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, looted weapons and then burnt down the base.

Several soldiers were missing, raising fears among their colleagues that they may have been captured by the jihadists, the military source said. The attack is also part of a 17-year Islamist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and follows a sharp spike in regional violence recorded through 2026.