Death toll hits 48 in Boko Haram troop attack: military sources
The death toll from a Boko Haram attack on a Nigerian army post on the border with Niger has risen to 48, military sources said on 3 September.
Scores of Boko Haram fighters in trucks stormed the base on 30 August in Zari village in northern Borno state and briefly seized it after a fierce battle.
Boko Haram, which has been waging a deadly insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has intensified attacks on military targets in recent months.
At least 30 Nigerian soldiers were initially said to have been killed in 30 August’s raid.
A military source who did not want to be named told AFP: ‘The casualty toll now stands at 48 with the recovery of 17 more bodies of soldiers in surrounding bushes in Zari by search and rescue teams. Search operations are still ongoing and more bodies are likely to be recovered.’
Another military source confirmed the new death toll.
He said: ‘So far (the) bodies of 48 troops have been recovered. Yesterday rescue teams found 17 bodies of fallen soldiers.’
Adding further he said that they included two officers and 46 soldiers.
He said: ‘When the troops were overwhelmed by the terrorists they withdrew in different directions.’
More from Defence Notes
-
Amazon Project Kuiper emphasises user-friendly solutions for multi-domain connectivity (Studio)
At DSEI 2025, Shephard's Alix Valenti spoke to Project Kuiper's Rich Pang about the importance of enabling seamless communication between allied forces such as NATO members in challenging operational environments.
-
DSEI 2025: Raytheon UK CEO highlights RTX skills, innovation and UK footprint
At DSEI 2025, James Gray, Managing Director and CEO of Raytheon UK (part of RTX), outlines the company’s century-long presence in the UK and its evolving role across defence, aerospace, cyber, and training domains.
-
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.