Deadly Boko Haram Assault Hits Troops in Borno’s Timbuktu Triangle
Story: written by Myra January 22,2026
Suspected Boko Haram fighters have launched a deadly attack on Nigerian troops in Borno State, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire during an assault on military positions in the volatile Timbuktu Triangle.
Military sources said the insurgents engaged soldiers in a prolonged firefight before deploying vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). In a statement released Wednesday, the Nigerian military confirmed that troops had earlier dismantled several terrorist enclaves in the area and disrupted planned attacks.
According to the military, one explosive-laden vehicle was successfully intercepted and neutralised. However, a second VBIED breached defensive lines, resulting in the deaths of several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a local militia supporting counter-insurgency operations.
A CJTF operative who confirmed the incident said government forces were overwhelmed during the assault due to the large number of attackers.
The Timbuktu Triangle — a remote and rugged zone covering parts of Borno State — has for over a decade served as a major operational hub for Boko Haram, enabling coordinated strikes against military formations and nearby communities.
Boko Haram, which began its violent campaign in northeastern Nigeria in 2009, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The group later fractured, with a faction pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and forming the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has increasingly focused attacks on military targets.
Despite sustained military operations, Boko Haram and its affiliates continue to exploit difficult terrain, weak state presence and porous borders to carry out large-scale attacks across the region.
Sources said Nigerian troops have since pulled back from the Timbuktu Triangle to a base in Damboa, while the bodies of the fallen and injured personnel were evacuated to the military hospital at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri.
