The Nigerian Army on Wednesday confirmed that several soldiers lost their lives when armed terrorists launched coordinated attacks on forward operating bases in Niger and Kaduna states, just days after the United States Embassy warned its citizens to avoid military facilities due to heightened security concerns.
The deadly attacks, which occurred on Tuesday, June 24, targeted military positions in the general areas of Kwanar Dutse Mairiga and Boka in Niger State, as well as Aungwan Turai in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, according to an official Army statement.
The timing of the attacks has raised questions about intelligence gathering and security coordination, coming barely 48 hours after the US Embassy issued a security alert advising American citizens to avoid non-official visits to Nigerian military installations.
“On 24 June 2025, forward operating bases in the general areas of Kwanar Dutse Mairiga and Boka Niger State, and Aungwan Turai Chikun LGA of Kaduna, were attacked by bandits in a 3 pronged attack,” the Nigerian Army statement read.
The coordinated nature of the assault, described as a “3 pronged attack,” suggests sophisticated planning by the terrorist groups, who simultaneously targeted multiple military installations across two states.
Following the initial attacks, Nigerian military forces launched immediate counteroffensives involving both ground troops and air support, resulting in what the Army described as fierce day-long battles. “In response, land and air component troops launched several counter-attacks that eliminated scores of bandits in the encounters,” the military statement confirmed.
However, the victory came at a significant cost to Nigerian forces. “Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles while four wounded in action troops are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds,” the Army acknowledged.
The military casualty report indicates that beyond the soldiers killed in action, four others sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving medical treatment, highlighting the intensity of the firefights that ensued.
The attacks occurred just two days after the US Mission Nigeria informed US citizens that all US Embassy employees and their families are prohibited from non-official travel to a Nigerian military site or other government venue in Abuja due to what the Embassy described as “increased global security concerns”.
The American security advisory, issued on Monday, had specifically warned against “non-essential travel to military and government facilities in Abuja”, though it focused primarily on the federal capital rather than the border states where Tuesday’s attacks occurred.
The US Mission barred embassy officials from visiting military sites and government facilities except for official purposes, suggesting American intelligence may have detected elevated threat levels against military installations.
The coordinated attacks on multiple military bases represent a significant escalation in terrorist activities in Nigeria’s troubled northern regions, where bandit groups and terrorist organizations have increasingly targeted security installations.
The choice of targets – forward operating bases designed to project military power into bandit-controlled territories – indicates the attackers’ strategic intent to weaken military presence in contested areas of Niger and Kaduna states.
Both states have been epicenters of bandit activities, kidnapping operations, and terrorist infiltration, with military installations serving as crucial bulwarks against criminal expansion into populated areas.
The Nigerian Army has promised to provide additional details about the incidents as investigations continue, while security analysts warn that the successful coordination of attacks across multiple locations suggests improved organizational capabilities among terrorist groups operating in the region.
The timing coincidence between the US security warning and the actual attacks has prompted questions about the effectiveness of intelligence sharing and whether early warning systems could have prevented the military casualties.
As Nigerian forces continue their counterterrorism operations in the affected areas, the latest attacks underscore the persistent security challenges facing Africa’s most populous nation and the ongoing risks to military personnel deployed in the country’s volatile northern frontiers.
