At least 23 individuals from the Joint Civilian Task Force in Nigeria were tragically killed in separate attacks carried out by terrorists in the northern part of the country on Saturday, as stated by officials today, Sunday.
According to one official, fighters from the terrorist organization ISIS utilized an explosive device to detonate a vehicle carrying a unit of the Joint Civilian Task Force in the state of Borno.
The Joint Civilian Task Force was initially formed in 2013 to safeguard areas in northeastern Nigeria and aid the military in combating the terrorist group Boko Haram, later extending its efforts to counter the militant ISIS organization.
Tijjanima Umar, CJTF chairman for Gamboru Ngala area near the border with Cameroon, recounted that the force members were en route to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, when their vehicle passed over the explosive device.
“As the mine blew up, nine of them died instantly … while two other people had severe injuries and were immediately taken to hospital for treatment,” Umar told Reuters by phone.
Background:
The Nigerian military was not immediately available to comment.
Although severely curtailed by Nigerian security forces, Boko Haram and ISWAP still carry out deadly attacks against civilians and the military.
Task force sector commandant Ismail Haruna told Reuters that in northwestern Soko state, 14 CJTF members were killed and several were missing following an ambush by gunmen on Saturday.
Haruna said the CJTF members were killed in Sokoto’s Isa local government area, where they had raided and destroyed a bush camp belonging to a known armed kidnapping gang leader.
The gang quickly regrouped and ambushed the CJTF as they drove back to Sokoto state capital, he added.
