4 Soldiers Injured As Troops Survive IED Ambush Along Damboa–Maiduguri Route

Four soldiers have sustained varying degrees of injuries following an improvised explosive device (IED) attack and subsequent ambush on troops along the Damboa–Kumala–Maiduguri main supply route in Borno State.

Sources, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in Lake Chad, reliably reported that the incident occurred at about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, 16 May 2026, approximately 9 kilometres from Kumala junction in Konduga Local Government Area.

According to the sources, troops of the 25th Brigade on a dominance patrol encountered a command-detonated IED planted along the route, which an ambush laid by suspected terrorists followed.

The troops reportedly fought through the ambush, though four soldiers sustained injuries during the engagement.

Reinforcements from brigade headquarters, alongside an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, were deployed to the area to support the operation and secure the route.

The EOD team later discovered and safely neutralised another suspected IED along the axis.

Security sources added that 89 civilian vehicles were escorted safely to their destination, while 165 others were turned back to Damboa for safety reasons.

Military authorities said clearance operations were ongoing to ensure safe passage along the strategic highway.