At least four Nigerian soldiers were feared killed on Thursday night after Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a military team at Auno, near Jakana, along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway in Borno State.
According to sources, the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. as troops were moving to reinforce colleagues who were reportedly under assault in the area.
A soldier who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday said the insurgents laid what he described as a “maximum” ambush, deploying controlled mines against the advancing troops.
“We lost soldiers there. They ambushed them last night. The troops went for reinforcement and four soldiers died immediately,” the source said.
He explained that the incident happened around Auno village, which falls under the area of responsibility of the 3 Battalion, shortly after passing Jakana from Damaturu.
“The standby soldiers are usually the ones sent for reinforcement when there is an attack. While they were on their way, Boko Haram laid a maximum ambush with controlled mines,” he added.
Another security source identified one of the fallen soldiers as Saidu, describing him as a lively and jovial colleague.
“Saidu and I were in the same barracks. He was very funny. They were on their way to rescue fellow soldiers who were under attack when they ran into the ambush,” the source said.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the spokesperson of Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sanni Uba, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were neither picked up nor returned as of press time.
Auno, located about 24 kilometres from Maiduguri along the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, has remained a volatile security flashpoint. The area is widely regarded as a hotspot for Boko Haram and ISWAP activities, with repeated attacks on military positions and civilians in recent months.
