No fewer than eight Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed after a military convoy struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) allegedly planted by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday as troops attached to the 24 Task Force Brigade, Dikwa, were returning to their base from Maiduguri.
According to military sources, the personnel had escorted food supplies and other logistics to Dikwa before the convoy came under attack along the return route.
A source familiar with the incident said the lead gun truck in the convoy triggered the explosive device, killing all the soldiers on board instantly.
“The leading vehicle hit an IED while the convoy was heading back to Dikwa from Maiduguri. Everyone in that vehicle died at the scene. About eight soldiers were killed,” the source disclosed.
As of the time of filing this report, the identities and ranks of the deceased personnel had yet to be officially confirmed by military authorities.
The latest attack adds to a series of deadly assaults on troops operating in the North-East, where insurgents have increasingly relied on roadside explosives and ambushes to target military movements.
In June, three soldiers lost their lives while several others sustained injuries after a military vehicle struck an IED along the Marte–Dikwa road, a key supply route in Borno State.
Similarly, in April 2025, suspected terrorists ambushed a military convoy in the Dikwa axis, killing at least four soldiers and setting two military trucks ablaze.
Security analysts say insurgent groups have increasingly adopted the use of improvised explosive devices to disrupt the movement of troops, food supplies and fuel between Maiduguri, Dikwa, Bama and other parts of Borno State, replacing direct battlefield confrontations with coordinated roadside attacks.
