Suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base in Mairari, Borno State, this week. The attack occurred late Tuesday. At least 10 soldiers and four civilians were killed. Some sources said the toll was higher. The militants stormed the base in large numbers. The gun battle lasted hours. The base was destroyed. The attack was the deadliest in weeks.
Boko Haram has fought an insurgency since 2009. The conflict has killed over 35,000 people. ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016. It has become the dominant group in the Lake Chad Basin. Mairari is in Guzamala Local Government Area. The town hosts displaced communities. Gudumbali, the original LGA headquarters, was captured by insurgents over a decade ago. Security forces have not recaptured it. The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly has repeatedly raised concerns. The attack confirms those fears.
The Guzamala LGA chairman confirmed the attack but could not verify the casualty figure. A security source said more than 10 soldiers and four civilians were killed. Another source said 15 soldiers and five Civilian JTF members died. The militants destroyed gun trucks and operational vehicles. The attack occurred hours after insurgents seized over 40 fishing boats in the Lake Chad region. Information was delayed because telecommunications services are absent in the area.
Winners: The attackers, who gained propaganda and weapons. No one else. Losers: The soldiers and civilians killed. Their families. The military, whose base was overrun. Borno communities, which remain under threat. The government, whose security promises ring hollow.
Bottom Line: A military base was overrun. Fifteen soldiers died. Four civilians were killed. The attackers escaped. Borno remains a war zone. The government must answer. The military must adapt.