At least eight Nigerian soldiers were initially reported killed after an Army patrol vehicle struck a suspected landmine in Borno State, in an attack blamed on insurgents operating near the border with Cameroon.
The incident occurred on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, as troops were reportedly monitoring members of a local anti-jihadist militia clearing thick vegetation along a highway.
According to reports citing military sources and a militia member, the explosive was planted along a dusty road and detonated remotely, killing the soldiers inside the vehicle. A militia member supervising the clearing operation reportedly sustained shrapnel injuries.
However, a subsequent Reuters report published on October 19 gave a higher casualty figure, saying at least 15 people — including 10 soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) — were killed after the convoy struck a landmine and came under gunfire. The conflicting figures have not been independently verified by Reuters.
The attack occurred as Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu was visiting Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital, following another deadly assault on a military base in the state.
Borno remains a major hotspot in Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency, with Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), continuing to target security forces and civilians through roadside explosives and ambushes.