Nine soldiers have been reported killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated along the Maiduguri–Gubio road in Borno State.

Military and Civilian Joint Task Force sources confirmed the incident in Maiduguri yesterday, saying preliminary investigations showed the explosive was planted overnight by Boko Haram insurgents.

The troops were travelling from Maiduguri through Gubio town for an operation in the Sasawa Forest, in neighbouring Yobe State, when the explosion occurred near Gubio, the headquarters of Gubio Local Council.

According to the sources, the soldiers had earlier stopped at a military outpost along the road on Saturday and planned to continue their journey the following day.

“While travelling from Maiduguri on Saturday, the soldiers stopped at a military camp by the roadside, before proceeding with their journey on Sunday,” one source said.

A senior military source said several other soldiers sustained injuries from shrapnel, including burns to their limbs and heads.

Clarifying the circumstances of the incident, the source said the attack was not an ambush, but the result of an IED planted along the road overnight.

The affected troops were said to be from the 145 Battalion, Damasak, under 5 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, based at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.

The explosion reportedly occurred on Sunday evening.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, including details of investigations and the number of casualties.

Insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have continued to target troops with gun trucks and improvised explosive devices along key routes and patrol areas around the Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region.

In November last year, suspected ISWAP fighters reportedly attacked a military convoy in the area, resulting in multiple casualties among soldiers and members of the Civilian JTF supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations.