Despite facing fierce resistance from troops on the ground, Boko Haram insurgents overran a local government area in Borno State, forcing the military men into a tactical withdrawal.
According to a military source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the insurgents launched a series of well-coordinated and sustained attacks that eventually overwhelmed the defending troops, leaving them with little choice but to retreat from their positions and abandon control of the area.
The source explained that the relentless assaults by the insurgents ultimately led to the fall of Marte, a town of strategic importance located in the volatile Lake Chad region, with several soldiers reportedly fleeing toward Dikwa.
“Many personnel have either deserted or been taken captive. Those who escaped are now regrouping at the 24 Task Force Brigade in Dikwa. ISWAP is now in control of Marte,” the source revealed.
The source noted that the intensity of the attack was such that the sounds of gunfire were audible in Dikwa, which prompted the Nigerian Air Force to deploy aircraft to the area in a bid to conduct aerial surveillance and account for both missing civilians and soldiers.
The latest development highlights the persistent challenges confronting the Nigerian Army in its ongoing counter-insurgency operations across the North-East.
This fresh setback comes in the aftermath of a deadly ambush that occurred just weeks earlier in Malam-Fatori, where 22 soldiers, including a senior commander, lost their lives.
During the attack on Marte, the militants also succeeded in overrunning the 153 Task Force Battalion on Saturday night, destroying several armoured vehicles and seizing a cache of weapons, further compounding the loss suffered by government forces.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain a response from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, regarding the latest attack were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to multiple phone calls as of the time this report was filed.
