Insurgents kill three Nigerian, Nigerien soldiers, injure 12

According to Reuters, on Sunday, Islamist fighters carried out attacks in the Northeast of the country, which resulted in the deaths of at least three soldiers from Nigeria and Niger and injured at least 12 others.

The soldiers were a component of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which is comprised of armed personnel from the countries of Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The mission of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is to put an end to the Islamist insurgency that has caused the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.

According to a source within the Nigerian military, two members of the MNJTF lost their lives when an improvised explosive device detonated under their vehicle while they were pursuing insurgents in the Arege region of Borno State, which is considered to be the epicenter of the insurgency in the region. There were a total of 12 people hurt: ten military personnel, including the commanding officer, and two civilians who were helping the military personnel.

Another explosive device went off in the vehicle that a Nigerien soldier was riding in when they carried out a separate attack in Arege, which resulted in the death of the soldier. According to a source within the Nigerien army, the total number of injured soldiers as a result of this attack is not yet known.

In a situation report, the MNJTF confirmed the attacks; however, the MNJTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Kamarudeen Adegoke, was not available for comment at the time this report was made.