Overview
- Militants launched coordinated raids Wednesday night into Thursday across Borno, hitting Pulka and Bakin Ruwa before striking the 29 Task Force Brigade base in Benisheikh, according to the military.
- Defence Headquarters said troops repelled the base assault and confirmed some soldier deaths, with casualty details withheld until families are notified.
- Local officials and intelligence sources told AFP the base was overrun, vehicles and buildings were burned, and at least 18 troops, including Brig. Gen. O.O. Braimah, were killed.
- An officer involved in reinforcements told Reuters that air force aircraft helped drive out the attackers and evacuated the bodies of dead soldiers on Thursday morning.
- The assault comes during a wider rise in jihadist violence since 2025, with AFP counting about 90 people killed in northern villages this week and monitors tracking expanding Boko Haram and ISWAP activity.