Nigerian military forces conducting a major counterinsurgency offensive in northeastern Borno State have suffered significant casualties after a twin suicide vehicle bombing struck their positions in the Timbuktu Triangle, one of the region’s most contested militant strongholds.
The attack occurred on Monday during Operation Desert Sanity, an ongoing military campaign aimed at dismantling entrenched insurgent positions belonging to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, known as Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force under Operation HADIN KAI, said troops consolidating at a temporary defensive “harbour area” about six kilometres north of Chilaria were targeted by two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs).
According to the statement, soldiers successfully neutralised the first suicide vehicle before it reached the defensive perimeter. The second VBIED, however, breached the position and detonated inside the camp, causing heavy casualties and damage to military logistics equipment.
While the military initially said the fallen soldiers had “paid the supreme price” without releasing figures, security sources and local reports later confirmed that at least eight soldiers were killed and around 50 others wounded. Members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), operating alongside regular army units, were also among the casualties.
The wounded and the bodies of the deceased were evacuated to the Maimalari Barracks Military Hospital in Maiduguri. Military sources said some units had temporarily withdrawn from forward positions inside the Timbuktu Triangle to the town of Damboa to reorganise following the breach.
Tactical gains despite losses
Despite the attack, the Nigerian Army said the broader offensive was continuing to yield results.
Troops have reportedly cleared and now dominate several key insurgent enclaves, including Tergejeri, Chiralia, Ajigin and Abirma, areas long used by militants as hideouts and supply corridors.
In a separate operation on Sunday, January 18, forces uncovered an underground storage facility containing medical supplies and fuel, believed to have been used by insurgent fighters. The military also reported repelling multiple drone attacks during that phase of the operation.
Further indicating militant losses, troops discovered a mass grave containing around 20 bodies of Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters. Military officials said the discovery reflected the growing pressure insurgents are facing as Operation Desert Sanity advances.
A critical theatre of the war
The Timbuktu Triangle, a rugged expanse of northern Borno near Lake Chad, has long served as a strategic sanctuary for armed groups because of its difficult terrain and remoteness.
Nigerian forces have launched repeated clearing operations in the area over the past decade, with mixed success. Operation HADIN KAI continues to coordinate air and ground operations alongside regional partners as Nigeria seeks to weaken the remaining insurgent networks in the northeast.
Military officials said operations in the Timbuktu Triangle remain ongoing, with reinforcements and surveillance assets repositioned to prevent further surprise attacks.
