The country\u2019s military earlier denied the abduction and killing of officer M. Uba by militants as a \u201cfake narrative\u201d<\/p>\n
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants have claimed that they captured and executed a Nigerian brigadier general during a deadly ambush on a military convoy in the country\u2019s troubled northeastern Borno State.
\nLast week, the Nigerian Army said a convoy led by Brigadier-General M. Uba of the 25 Task Force Brigade came under \u201csudden and heavy insurgents fire\u201d while returning from a patrol near Wajiroko late on Friday.
\nAccording to the military, two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed in the encounter. It denied that Gen. Uba was captured by the militants during the attack, dismissing circulating reports as a \u201cfake narrative.\u201d
\nThe ISWAP\u2019s claims were carried in a statement published by its affiliate Al Amaq news agency on Monday. The group called the army\u2019s denial an \u201coutright lie,\u201d AP reported. Reuters also said the militants claimed responsibility for the ambush and stated that it killed the army officer following an interrogation.
\nISWAP emerged in 2016 after a split with Boko Haram, triggered by ideological and leadership disputes. Boko Haram\u2019s leader at the time, Abubakar Shekau, was criticized by Islamic State\u2019s central command for indiscriminate attacks on Muslim civilians. He was replaced by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, prompting a division between the factions.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Gunmen kill and kidnap in Nigeria school raid \u2013 officials<\/p>\n
Violence linked to the insurgent groups has continued to destabilize Nigeria\u2019s northeast, displacing millions and claiming thousands of lives.
\nThis year alone, suspected ISWAP fighters have repeatedly targeted military positions in Borno, including a January raid that killed at least 20 soldiers at an army base in Malam Fatori. Last month, four soldiers were killed and five wounded when troops repelled a coordinated attack by Islamist insurgents in Ngamdu. In March, the jihadists mounted coordinated attacks on bases in Wajiroko and Wulgo near the Cameroon border.
\nAfrica\u2019s most populous country has long struggled to contain insecurity fueled by terrorist groups and criminal gangs. In a separate incident on Monday, gunmen stormed a government girls\u2019 boarding school in northwestern Kebbi State, killing the vice principal and abducting about 25 female students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The country\u2019s military earlier denied the abduction and killing of officer M. Uba by militants as a \u201cfake narrative\u201d Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants have claimed that they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22686,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t