At least 60 people, including five soldiers, were killed in a brutal overnight assault by Boko Haram militants on the village of Darul Jamal, near a military base on the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Borno State.

Local officials confirmed that the attack, which took place late Friday, also destroyed more than 20 houses and 10 buses, leaving several reconstruction workers among the dead.

According to eyewitnesses, militants stormed the village under cover of darkness, targeting both residents and security personnel. Among the victims were at least 13 drivers and laborers who had been engaged in rebuilding infrastructure in the conflict-hit community.

The Nigerian Air Force launched retaliatory strikes after receiving reports of the raid. Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said surveillance drones tracked the insurgents fleeing north into nearby forests. “In a series of three precise and successive strikes, the fleeing terrorists were decisively engaged, resulting in the neutralization of over 30 insurgents,” Ejodame announced.

The deadly assault highlights a resurgence of militant activity in Nigeria’s northeast, where Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), continue to launch coordinated attacks. Borno State, long regarded as the epicenter of the 15-year insurgency, has suffered devastating losses: over 40,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced since 2009.

Boko Haram, which once controlled vast areas of Borno at its peak in 2015, has been significantly weakened by joint military operations. Yet, its ability to strike communities, military bases, and convoys remains a pressing threat.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum visited Darul Jamal on Saturday, describing the massacre as “very sad” and expressing frustration that the village, only recently resettled, has once again been plunged into tragedy.

He warned of the immense strain on Nigeria’s security apparatus. “The numerical strength of the Nigerian army is not enough to contain the situation,” Zulum said, pledging to reinforce security by deploying the state’s newly established Forest Guards unit to help patrol vulnerable rural areas.

Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram has also been complicated by shifting regional dynamics. The withdrawal of troops from neighboring Niger — previously part of the multinational force combating the jihadist group — has left gaps in cross-border security. This has provided insurgents with more mobility across porous frontiers.

The Nigerian military has ramped up operations in recent months, targeting insurgent hideouts with airstrikes and ground offensives. Still, sporadic attacks on civilian communities and security formations demonstrate the militants’ enduring capacity for violence.

Boko Haram gained global notoriety in April 2014 after abducting more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, also in Borno. Despite years of counterinsurgency campaigns and international support, the group continues to pose a severe security challenge.

Friday night’s massacre in Darul Jamal serves as a grim reminder of the enduring threat and the urgent need for strengthened security, both at the national and regional levels, to protect civilians and restore stability to northeastern Nigeria. (ILKHA)