A roadside bomb planted by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists has killed seven Nigerian soldiers and four local vigilantes around the Marte-Dikwa axis of Borno State.

The terrorists had planted the improvised explosive device (IED) on the road to ambush a military convoy traveling to Maiduguri from Marte.

The military vehicles were trapped around Ala village, situated between Marte and Dikwa town. PRNigeria quoted an intelligence officer with knowledge of the incident to have said, “One of the military vehicles stepped on the IED planted by the terrorists”.

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“The terrorists who were hidden around the spot opened fire at the other convoys, leading to the death of at least seven soldiers and four local security vigilantes who were part of the convoy.”

Led by Aboubacar Oucacha, one of ISWAP’s foot soldiers, the attack was to strengthen the takeover of Sambisa forest from the loyalists of Abubakar Shekau, the late Boko Haram leader.