BREAKING: Eight Soldiers Killed In Terrorist Attack On Borno Base As Troops Kill Over 25 Insurgents In Counterattack

Another military source said the terrorists stormed the base in gun trucks and on motorcycles, leading to a prolonged gun battle with troops stationed there. At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists attacked the 101 Special Forces Battalion in Kukawa, Borno State, military sources have told SaharaReporters. The casualty figure is the latest information emerging from the attack, which occurred on Tuesday evening, October 6, 2026, in the Kukawa area of northern Borno. The Nigerian Army, in a statement issued on Wednesday, confirmed that its troops came under a coordinated ISWAP assault on the military base and that some soldiers were killed, but it did not disclose the number of military casualties. However, military sources told SaharaReporters that eight soldiers were killed during the prolonged attack. “Eight soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base, 101 SF BN, Kukawa town in North-East Borno State. The incident occurred on 6/10/26 in the evening. Our men also killed ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists in return,” one military source told SaharaReporters. Another military source said the terrorists stormed the base in gun trucks and on motorcycles, leading to a prolonged gun battle with troops stationed there. According to the source, the attackers initially overwhelmed the soldiers and temporarily took control of parts of the base before reinforcements and air support were called in. The terrorists were also said to have set some military gun trucks and logistics vehicles ablaze during the attack. The source said the intervention of reinforcements and air support eventually helped troops regain control of the situation, with about 25 terrorists killed during the counter-operation. The Nigerian Army, in its statement on Wednesday, described the incident as a coordinated four-pronged assault by ISWAP terrorists on the 101 Special Forces Battalion. The Army said troops of Operation HADIN KAI, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, successfully repelled the attack. “Preliminary assessment indicates that over 25 terrorists were neutralised, with 14 bodies recovered so far,” the Army said. It added that six AK-47 rifles were recovered from the terrorists. The Army, however, did not provide a specific figure for soldiers killed in the attack, saying only that some troops “paid the supreme sacrifice.” The Army also expressed condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and said the troops remained committed to protecting communities in the North-East. The latest revelation by military sources therefore provides the first indication of the scale of the military casualties from the attack. SaharaReporters had reported that the terrorists launched the assault on the strategic military formation in Kukawa, an area along the Lake Chad axis that has remained vulnerable to attacks by insurgents operating around the region. The 101 Special Forces Battalion is positioned along the strategic axis and is part of the military's efforts to prevent ISWAP fighters from expanding their operations from the Lake Chad area into communities in Borno. The Tuesday attack reportedly began in the evening when the insurgents approached the military position in a coordinated assault involving gun trucks and motorcycles. The attackers engaged the soldiers in a fierce exchange of gunfire, according to the military sources. The initial assault reportedly put the troops under heavy pressure, prompting a call for additional forces and aerial intervention. The terrorists subsequently withdrew after the arrival of reinforcements and air support, with the military launching counter-attacks against the insurgents. One of the sources said the terrorists suffered significant casualties during the counter-operation, while the Army said more than 25 were neutralised and 14 bodies recovered. The Army has not publicly disclosed whether the figure of eight soldiers given by the military sources represents the final number of military casualties from the attack. The attack underscores the continued threat posed by ISWAP in the Lake Chad and northern Borno axis, where military formations and communities have repeatedly come under attack from insurgents.