KANO: At least 10 people were killed and 23 others sustained injuries when a vehicle transporting local traders hit an improvised landmine in northeast Nigeria battling a long-running militant conflict, three paramilitary sources said on Thursday, AFP reported.
The convoy of farmers and fishermen was en route from the garrison town of Monguno to Lake Chad when their vehicle ran over a mine believed to have been planted by militants linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“Militants have been driven back from territory they controlled a few years ago in Nigeria’s northeast Borno state but they still carry out ambushes and target convoys traveling out of towns protected by army garrisons,” stated Musa Kaka, a member of an anti-militant militia group assisting the army.
The explosion occurred around Mosquito camp, three kilometers outside Monguno, causing devastation to the vehicle. “We recovered 10 dead bodies and 23 injured victims from the scene,” said Kaka. The deceased were laid to rest on Wednesday, while the injured were transported to a hospital in the town.
ISWAP’s presence is notably strong along the 70-kilometer highway between Monguno and Baga, frequently launching attacks on civilian and military convoys. Monguno, situated 140 kilometers north of Borno state capital Maiduguri, hosts tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled militant attacks and reside in sprawling camps.
ISWAP, which emerged as a splinter group from Boko Haram in 2016, currently dominates the Lake Chad region. Despite efforts by the Nigerian military, including air strikes and offensives, the conflict has persisted over the past 15 years, resulting in mass displacement and casualties.
The militants have increasingly resorted to planting landmines on roads to target both military and civilian convoys. Just days ago, four persons were killed after stepping on a mine near the town of Wulgo, close to the Cameroon border.
