Latest news with #AppoloniaAnele
Arabian Post
26-06-2025
- Arabian Post
Northern Bases Ambushed, 17 Soldiers Slain in Niger State
Seventeen Nigerian soldiers have died and ten more were wounded after coordinated attacks on three military bases in Niger and Kaduna states, the army confirmed. The assaults began in the early hours of Tuesday, as heavily armed gunmen stormed forward operating posts in Kwanar Dutse and Boka, along with a base in neighbouring Kaduna State. Combat persisted for several hours under heavy fire. Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele stated that the attackers numbered around 300 and emerged from Kwanar Dutse Forest. Troops engaged in a fierce, three‑hour firefight before calling in Nigerian Air Force precision airstrikes on retreating militants. The operation reportedly inflicted severe losses on the assailants. The fallen soldiers were flown to a military hospital, where those injured are currently stable. Local officials and military sources confirm that all 17 fatalities occurred at the Kwanar Dutse Mariga base. 'It was an ambush,' said Abbas Kasuwar Garba, chairman of Mariga district. 'They came from nowhere and used heavy ammunition to attack.' ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian Army has launched a robust counteroffensive following the attack. A statement from the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Oluwafemi Oluyede, extended condolences to grieving families and underscored that all efforts are being made to treat the injured and pursue the perpetrators. Analysts note that this attack fits a disturbing pattern of escalating violence in the northwest, where criminal networks—often referred to locally as bandits—frequently clash with military forces and kidnap civilians. These criminal groups, some with suspected ties to Islamic insurgent factions, have increasingly targeted security facilities. This incident echoes past offensives, such as the April 2022 assault on a base in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna, where 17 soldiers were similarly killed. Militants in that attack used motorbikes and rocket‑propelled grenades, overrunning the facility in broad daylight. The involvement of a large number of assailants is a cause for concern. The military's use of both ground troops and air support suggests a coordinated response, yet the presence of hundreds of heavily armed fighters highlights porous security in enclaves like Kwanar Dutse Forest and the Boka region. Efforts to strengthen defences in vulnerable areas have continued, though the army has acknowledged difficulties maintaining forward posts and protecting communities. Bandits and militants appear adept at exploiting forested terrain and intelligence gaps, enabling them to mount sudden, lethal raids. Niger State has suffered a steep rise in such attacks over the past year, with bases and outposts frequently targeted. The military has frequently responded with joint operations and airstrikes—yet the death toll among soldiers remains troublingly high. In response to this latest tragedy, military authorities have reiterated their commitment to bolstering frontline capabilities, expanding intelligence gathering, and launching targeted operations in bandit‑infested zones. Plans are reportedly under discussion to reposition troops, upgrade armoury, and intensify patrols. At the same time, analysts caution that unless root causes—such as criminal networks, forest hideouts, and cross‑border militant ties—are comprehensively addressed, similar ambushes are likely to recur.
25-06-2025
Nigeria says gunmen kill at least 14 soldiers in clashes in the troubled north
ABUJA, Nigeria -- At least 14 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in clashes with hundreds of gunmen in north-central Niger State, an army spokesman said Wednesday. More than 300 gunmen were planning to attack villages from their forest enclave in the Mariga council area on Tuesday when the military conducted 'precision strikes' and deployed soldiers to engage them, according to army spokesperson Appolonia Anele. Ten other soldiers were wounded, Anele said. The operation resulted in 'significant enemy losses,' the army added. Armed gangs have been terrorizing communities across northern Nigeria, many of them former pastoralists caught up in decades-long conflict with farming communities. Nigeria's army said the latest clash involved gangs operating out of the notorious Kwanar Dutse Forest, one of several abandoned reserves used as hideouts in the troubled region.
Toronto Star
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Nigeria says gunmen kill at least 14 soldiers in clashes in the troubled north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 14 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in clashes with hundreds of gunmen in north-central Niger State, an army spokesman said Wednesday. More than 300 gunmen were planning to attack villages from their forest enclave in the Mariga council area on Tuesday when the military conducted 'precision strikes' and deployed soldiers to engage them, according to army spokesperson Appolonia Anele.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nigeria says gunmen kill at least 14 soldiers in clashes in the troubled north
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 14 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in clashes with hundreds of gunmen in north-central Niger State, an army spokesman said Wednesday. More than 300 gunmen were planning to attack villages from their forest enclave in the Mariga council area on Tuesday when the military conducted 'precision strikes' and deployed soldiers to engage them, according to army spokesperson Appolonia Anele. Ten other soldiers were wounded, Anele said. The operation resulted in 'significant enemy losses,' the army added. Armed gangs have been terrorizing communities across northern Nigeria, many of them former pastoralists caught up in decades-long conflict with farming communities. Nigeria's army said the latest clash involved gangs operating out of the notorious Kwanar Dutse Forest, one of several abandoned reserves used as hideouts in the troubled region.
Washington Post
25-06-2025
- Washington Post
Nigeria says gunmen kill at least 14 soldiers in clashes in the troubled north
ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 14 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in clashes with hundreds of gunmen in north-central Niger State, an army spokesman said Wednesday. More than 300 gunmen were planning to attack villages from their forest enclave in the Mariga council area on Tuesday when the military conducted 'precision strikes' and deployed soldiers to engage them, according to army spokesperson Appolonia Anele. Ten other soldiers were wounded, Anele said. The operation resulted in 'significant enemy losses,' the army added. Armed gangs have been terrorizing communities across northern Nigeria, many of them former pastoralists caught up in decades-long conflict with farming communities. Nigeria's army said the latest clash involved gangs operating out of the notorious Kwanar Dutse Forest, one of several abandoned reserves used as hideouts in the troubled region.
