‘At least 60 dead’ after attack on Nigerian military base | World | News

According to reports, at least 60 people, including soldiers and civilians, were killed in an attack on the Nigerian military engineering unit in Garbougna, in the Tillabéri region near the border with Mali.

According to reports citing ‘many security and local sources’, the targeted unit was participating in the construction of a bridge when heavily armed fighters launched an attack on the military base. It was reported that the camp was completely destroyed during the attack. The victims included many civilians near the construction site, while other residents are said to have fled to neighboring towns to escape the fighting. LSI Africa reports.

It was reported that after the attack, Nigerian security forces launched search and tracking operations in the region. However, access to parts of the sector remains difficult due to the presence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly abandoned by the attackers. The Al-Qaeda-linked Group in Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement a few hours later. To many security analysts, the claim is particularly notable because Garbougna is located in a region of the Sahara long thought to be favorable to the Islamic State. Many observers see this as a sign of a restructuring of the spheres of influence of jihadist groups active in the Sahel.

According to the information we have received, the provisional death toll is around 60, but this figure is expected to increase in the coming hours. Meanwhile, specialist media outlet Zagazola Makama reported that at least 67 people died following the attack.