A Nigerian Army Colonel, identified as Colonel I.A. Muhammad, has been killed in a Boko Haram ambush during a coordinated overnight attack on a military formation in Monguno, Borno State, according to military sources.
Soldiers repoted that the insurgents targeted a Forward Operating Base under the 242 Battalion on Sunday night, prompting the senior officer to lead a reinforcement mission to support troops under heavy attack.
The Colonel was reportedly killed when his convoy ran into a remotely detonated explosive device planted by the insurgents along the route as he moved to the frontline, with several other soldiers also feared dead in the blast.
Military sources said the attack highlights the increasing use of sophisticated improvised explosive devices by Boko Haram fighters and underscores growing security risks faced by troops in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The incident adds to a recent wave of deadly attacks in Borno State, where several senior officers and soldiers have been killed in separate assaults on military bases and formations in recent weeks.
