Kano – Five people were killed when a civilian convoy hit a landmine planted by jihadists in northeast Nigeria near the border with Cameroon, two anti-jihadist militia told AFP on Tuesday.
A vehicle in the convoy which was heading to Gamboru in Borno State from the regional capital Maiduguri hit an explosive planted on the road near Maula village on Monday, triggering a blast which set two vehicles on fire, the two sources said.
The jihadist insurgency in Nigeria has killed more than 40,000 people since 2009 and displaced around two million from their homes.
“They hit an explosive planted by terrorists which killed five people, including two drivers and three female passengers,” militia leader Babakura Kolo said.
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It was not clear which jihadist group was behind the attack as both Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the rival Boko Haram faction operate in the area.
The militants ambushed a team of soldiers which mobilised from nearby Dikwa town to rescue the convoy, seizing a military vehicle, said another militia member Umar Ari, who gave a similar toll.
“Soldiers defused three explosives discovered on the highway after the explosion,” Ari said.
Military and local authorities did not respond for request for details on the incident.
The Gamboru-to-Maiduguri highway is a strategic 140km (87-mile) trade route in the region, and provides an important link with neighbouring Cameroon.
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The highway was reopened in July 2016 after it was shut by the military for two years due to incessant jihadist attacks.
Trucks carrying goods and passenger vehicles use the road under military escort but food-starved fighters still launch sporadic ambushes on convoys from their hideouts.
On February 4, Borno state governor Babagana Umara Zulum declared that civilians could travel the highway without military escort, claiming security had improved despite continued attacks by jihadists.
Borno officials have recently closed makeshift camps for displaced in Maiduguri and returned people to their hometowns despite concern by aid groups and experts the returnees risk attacks by jihadists.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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