ISWAP ambush claims lives of 2 senior army officers, soldiers in Borno

Tragedy has struck the Nigerian military following the death of two senior Army officers and several soldiers in a deadly ambush carried out by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State.

According to reports by Sahara Reporters, military sources confirmed that the Commanding Officers of the 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel A. Paiko, and the 222 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel S. Iliyasu, were among those killed in the attack.

According to information gathered, the troops were on their way to Kawuri town in Bama Local Government Area around 9:45 a.m. on Friday, October 17, 2025, for a counter-insurgency operation when they came under heavy fire from the militants.

Sources said several soldiers sustained serious injuries, while a yet-to-be-determined number remain missing following the incident.

“A clearance operation led by both the CO 222 Battalion and CO 202 Battalion Bama was ambushed yesterday leading to the deaths of both commanders and many other soldiers,” a military source told SaharaReporters.

“The bloody encounter also left many of our soldiers missing.”

Another source recounted how the operation began: “There was information that the terrorists were operating in a small village called Kawuri, so the Commanders mobilised their men to go to the village and confront them. However, they were ambushed on their way.”

“While I can confirm the death of Lieutenant Colonel Paiko of 202 Battalion, I’m not sure about Colonel S.I. Iliyasu, however, he was shot and the last I heard about him was his evacuation to the military hospital in Maiduguri. Probably he died on his way to the hospital because of the gunshots. Even as we are talking, casualties still remain unknown, so sad,” another source added.

Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP, have continued to carry out deadly attacks across Nigeria’s North-East, killing thousands and displacing millions since the insurgency began over a decade ago.

Despite repeated assurances by the Nigerian military that the insurgents have been largely decimated, ambushes and attacks targeting soldiers have persisted in recent months.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)