Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked two military locations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in the early hours of Friday, leaving three residents dead.
Witnesses said the insurgents attacked a military base at Kofa around 2:14am before striking another base at Muna about 2:30am.
Sources in both areas said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and fired sporadically.
They said soldiers successfully repelled both attacks, but three residents were killed by stray bullets during the exchange of fire.
A Kofa resident, Deborah Usman, said many people ran for safety as the insurgents clashed with troops at the military post.
“It’s at that time that our neighbor, a three-week-old bride, was hit by a stray bullet on the head and she died instantly.”
Sources in Muna said the attackers confronted troops stationed at the Customs office as they tried to break into the state capital.
A resident, Mannanaye Muhammad, said two people lost their lives during the attack.
“They were trying to escape the area when the insurgent shot sporadically at their location. Most of us that decided to stay indoors were not affected, but a woman was also injured by a flying bullet in her residence,” he said.
He added that funeral prayers had been held, while the victims were scheduled to be buried by 12 noon.
The latest attack happened less than 24 hours after insurgents struck a military location in Logomani community in Ngala Local Government Area, where a soldier was killed.
Confirming the incident, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said troops stopped several terrorist infiltration attempts.
The statement read: “Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have successfully thwarted multiple coordinated infiltration attempts by ISWAP terrorists across Borno State in the early hours of 10 July 2026.
“Between 0020 hours (12:20 a.m.) and 0230 hours (2:30 a.m.), the terrorists attempted to infiltrate into Muna Garage, Shuwari Village, and the Ajilari Cross axis to gain access into the Metropolis. With early warning mechanisms emplaced, troops swiftly detected the advancing terrorists and engaged them from multiple axes with accurate firepower, decisively frustrating all attempts to infiltrate.
“In separate incidents, troops also successfully thwarted additional infiltration attempts by the terrorists at Miringa and Dutsen Kura in Buratai. During the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists at Miringa, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with no casualties recorded on troops. The situation remains stable.
“Overwhelmed by the troops’ speedy tactical manoeuvre, the terrorists were forced to abandon their mission and retreat in confusion across all axes. Troops are currently conducting clearance and exploitation operations to pursue the fleeing terrorists, consolidate operational gains, dominate the area, and prevent any further threat to nearby communities.”
