Eight civilian fighters were killed after their vehicle hit a landmine in Borno, Nigeria
A tragic landmine explosion on Tuesday afternoon claimed the lives of eight local militia members in Borno State, Nigeria. The fighters, who had just finished helping government troops fend off an attack on a base in Marte, were on their way back to Maiduguri when their vehicle was hit by the explosive device.
The blast took place around 2 p.m., between the towns of Marte and Dikwa, in a region known for frequent jihadist attacks. According to Babakura Kolo, a local militia leader, all eight men in the car were killed on the spot.
“Their vehicle hit the landmine while heading back to Maiduguri. All of them died instantly,” he confirmed.
Another militia head, Ibrahim Liman, backed up the statement and added that the victims’ bodies were returned to Maiduguri and would be laid to rest the following day.
Violence on the Rise in Nigeria’s Northeast
The blast happened shortly after jihadist fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) tried to raid the same military base in Marte earlier this month. That attack left four soldiers dead and led to the looting of weapons before the militants set fire to the facility.
On the same Tuesday the landmine exploded, Nigerian forces reportedly stopped another ISWAP attempt to enter the Marte base—with help from airstrikes. The army confirmed that two soldiers died in the fresh clash, while many fleeing fighters were killed.
Both ISWAP and rival group Boko Haram have stepped up attacks across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. Their actions have left scars across the northeast and pushed over two million people from their homes.
This insurgency, now entering its 16th year, has taken more than 40,000 lives and continues to spread into neighboring countries like Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, forcing the region to unite militarily against the growing jihadist threat.
