ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Jihadi extremist groups, including Boko Haram and one of its factions, have been blamed for intensified attacks targeting Nigeria’s military bases in the northeast of the country in the last week.
At least two officers and several soldiers have been killed in the attacks, which analysts say shows a remarkable level of coordination.
Over the weekend, Islamic extremists launched at least six attacks in Borno and Yobe states and in the wider Lake Chad region, spiriting away trucks and military hardware from the bases, according to security analysts and security reports.
The Nigerian military said in a statement that the latest attacks between Sunday and Monday were an “attempt by the terrorists to overwhelm troop positions.”
Military spokesman Sani Uba said late Monday that the troops lost an unspecified number of soldiers and a military officer, without providing further details. It adds to a death toll of several soldiers and at least one officer in the past week. Security analysts estimate at least four military officers have been killed in that period.
Africa’s most populous country has long struggled to contain the jihadi violence in its northeast. After launching an insurgency in 2009, Boko Haram has grown into different factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, which is backed by the Islamic State group. The crisis has overstretched the Nigerian military, which also battles other security crises across the conflict-batt …