Boko Haram terrorists attacked a military checkpoint, killing 6 soldiers.
12 Mar 2021 · Tasmukawu, Kaga, Borno
Deaths
6
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
6
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
A military source confirmed the casualty figures to SaharaReporters. However, the Nigerian Army had not officially commented on the incident at the time of the report
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Boko Haram/ISWAP continued its tactic of targeting military checkpoints and convoys in remote areas to inflict casualties.
Trajectory
The cumulative effect of these attacks highlighted a significant escalation in insurgent activity in early 2021 and challenged the military's narrative of the insurgency being "largely defeated."
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks including 27 September 2019 – Banki checkpoint attack targeting border security personnel, 12 December 2019 – Mamuri assault on a civilian militia security post, 23 February 2021 – Maiduguri RPG attack targeting urban security zones, 11 March 2021 – Gudumbali convoy ambush killing soldiers and CJTF members, and 23 March 2024 – Gujba base attack on military patrol assets, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram targets lightly fortified security positions such as checkpoints and outposts—especially in remote areas—to inflict casualties, weaken frontline defense layers, and maintain persistent pressure on state security infrastructure despite ongoing military operations.
Pattern
Checkpoints targeting
Related — Armed Attack
Insurgents launched a massive, multi-directional assault on the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) headquarters located outside Baga. After fierce fighting, the base was overrun and the military abandoned their posts. The attackers then turned their weapons on the town of Baga and the neighboring fishing village of Doron Baga. Over the next four days, they engaged in a "house-by-house" purge, murdering residents, looting homes, and burning the towns almost completely to the ground, destroying over 3,700 structures.
Gunmen killed two youths returning from a security meeting in Dorowa Babuje community, Barkin Ladi LGA, Plateau State.
Gunmen abducted a university professor in Guratopp, Jos South LGA, Plateau State.