In the Pulka-Firgi Road of Borno State, Nigeria, a tragic incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday, January 29, 2024.
Boko Haram terrorists, resorting to desperate measures, planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the route.
The unfortunate victims were seven farmers traveling in a commercial vehicle, which, unknowingly, ran over the explosive device.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, the blast resulted in the death of seven passengers and the driver.
Additionally, seven others sustained severe injuries, highlighting the grim toll on innocent lives.
The tactics employed by ISWAP and Boko Haram in their resistance against the Nigerian military’s advances have taken a distressing turn.
Facing intrusion into their enclaves, these terrorist groups have increasingly relied on IEDs as a major warfare strategy.
This choice is attributed to their perceived weakness and diminished capacity in direct confrontations.
A troubling aspect of this situation is the prevalence of locally made IEDs, contributing to more than half of the fatalities in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in North-East Nigeria.
Tragically, the victims often include civilians, with women and children bearing the brunt of these indiscriminate attacks.
This escalation in the use of IEDs underscores the challenges faced by the Nigerian military in ensuring the safety and security of the affected regions.
As the conflict persists, the impact on communities and the urgency for effective counter-insurgency measures become increasingly apparent.
