Jihadist Attack Kills Soldiers at Northern Military Base

In a devastating escalation of Sahel jihadist insurgency, suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters stormed a remote military base in Malam-Fatori, northeastern Borno State, Nigeria, on January 25, 2025, killing at least 20 soldiers and wounding dozens more in a pre-dawn ambush. The assault, one of the deadliest against Nigerian forces this year, involved coordinated gunfire, IEDs, and suicide bombings that breached perimeter defenses, forcing troops to abandon the outpost amid heavy casualties. The Nigerian Army confirmed the breach in a terse statement, reporting 18 soldiers slain and five captured, while locals tallied higher losses, including burned vehicles and seized ammunition. ISWAP claimed responsibility via Telegram, vowing to "expel infidels" from the Lake Chad basin. This marks the third major base raid in Borno since November 2024, highlighting military overstretch amid 1,200 jihadist deaths from counterops but persistent farmer killings. President Bola Tinubu decried the "cowardly barbarism," pledging reinforcements and drone surveillance, yet critics lambast underfunded troops and porous borders with Chad. As funerals unfold in Maiduguri, the attack underscores Nigeria's quagmire: 35,000 dead since 2009, millions displaced, and jihadists resurgent via Sahel alliances, demanding bolder regional pacts for fragile peace.