Security and local defence sources say a suicide bomber struck a military position in Firgi, near the town of Pulka in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, on Sunday, killing at least five soldiers.
Witnesses and militia members who helped transport the victims to hospital described a chaotic scene. "I counted five bodies lying in blood at the back of my house," said Umar Sa'idu, a member of a government-sponsored community militia, who told AFP that medical staff at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) later confirmed the five deaths.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the military spokesman for the northeast, confirmed an attack at the position but did not verify the death toll. "Our gallant soldiers shot the attacker when he attempted to carry out the bombing in their own position," he said, adding that injured troops are receiving medical care.
Local accounts identified the assailant as a suspected Boko Haram member possibly from the nearby Mandara Mountains. Bukar Aji, a local hunter, said the attacker approached soldiers and detonated an explosive device strapped to his body. Police confirmed an attack took place but released few details.
Regional Context
Pulka lies close to the Mandara Mountains, a rugged border region between Nigeria and Cameroon that is sparsely governed and has long been used as a haven by jihadist groups linked to Boko Haram and its offshoots. Nigeria has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2009; the United Nations estimates the conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast.
Although violence in the region has abated from its peak more than a decade ago, militants have stepped up raids on military outposts this year and attacks have spilled across borders into Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Security officials and analysts say insurgent groups remain capable of mounting lethal strikes despite sustained military operations.
Recent Incidents
The last major suicide attack in the state occurred in June, when a woman acting allegedly for Boko Haram killed 20 anti-jihadist fighters. In January, military sources reported at least 27 soldiers were killed in a blast in a wasteland between Borno and Yobe states — one of the deadliest attacks on Nigerian troops in recent years.
Reporting by AFP; local and military sources cited. Casualty figures are based on local and security reports and have not been independently verified by international organisations.
