Several Nigerian soldiers are feared dead after suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military post in Mairari community, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attack reportedly began around midnight on Tuesday, 13 October, and lasted for more than two hours before troops repelled the assailants.
Guzamala Local Government Chairman, Umar Sheriff, confirmed the incident on Wednesday, saying the attackers specifically targeted the military formation rather than civilians.
Sheriff disclosed that he did not yet have confirmed casualty figures but assured residents that no civilian deaths had been reported. He described the assault as unusually intense for the area and commended the military for successfully repelling the attack.
However, local sources claimed that casualties were recorded on both sides of the confrontation. One source said there were rumours that as many as seven soldiers had been killed, although the figure could not be independently verified.
Another source said the prolonged exchange of gunfire had left residents anxious, adding that the attackers may also have suffered casualties during the battle.
The council chairman said the situation had returned to calm and indicated plans to visit Mairari to assess the aftermath of the attack.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, were unsuccessful before the report was published.
As of the time of reporting, the military had not released an official casualty figure for the incident.
The attack adds to ongoing security concerns in Borno State, where insurgents have repeatedly targeted military formations as Nigerian troops continue operations against armed groups in the North-East.
