Boko Haram insurgents on Sunday sacked three military bases in Borno state, stealing weapons, and forcing many soldiers to run for their lives.
The fighters, who are believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the IS-linked faction of Boko Haram, attacked four bases from Friday through Sunday, but three were overrun.
Herald Nigeria gathered that the fighters made a failed attempt to seize a base in the town of Dikwa, at home to home to more than 70,000 displaced people who rely on food and humanitarian assistance from aid agencies.
“The terrorists attacked troops in Dikwa around 4:00 am (0300 GMT) but the attack was repelled without casualty on our side,” a military officer, who did not want to be identified, told AFP.
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The fighters reportedly came in 13 trucks fitted with heavy machine guns, said a second officer, who gave a similar account.
Another military source noted that the jihadists blasted into a base in the town of Marte late on Saturday, pushing troops out after a prolonged gunfight.
The militants ransacked the base, carting away weapons abandoned by fleeing soldiers and setting fire to it. The soldiers withdrew to Dikwa.
Just as they retreated towards Lake Chad, the Islamist fighters sacked another base in Kirenowa village, 30 kilometres from Marte.
The attacks is believed to be an attempt to demoralise the military who has intensified aerial attacks on ISWAP camps in the Lake Chad region.