Jihadist rebels linked to the Islamic State group in northeastern Nigeria ambushed 15 members of the escort of the governor of Borno State, who are unharmed, on Friday, security sources said.
According to these sources, eight policemen, three soldiers and four members of a pro-government militia were killed in the attack on the convoy of vehicles of the governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, near the town of Baga on the shore of Lake Chad.
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The assailants attacked the convoy with automatic weapons and grenade launchers as the convoy passed through a village near the International Joint Force (MNJTF) headquarters, formed by troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
"
The governor is safe and sound but 15 security personnel were killed in the fighting with the terrorists,
" one of the sources said.
The governor was traveling to Baga as part of the preparation for the return of thousands of residents driven from the city by the jihadists in 2014, according to this source.
He was evacuated by helicopter to the garrison town of Monguno, 60 km away, and joined Baga in a high-security convoy, one of the sources said.
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The roads that cross Borno State are dangerous due to the presence of jihadist fighters of the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) and their rivals Boko Haram, who set up roadblocks, kill or kidnap travelers.
More than 36,000 people have been killed since 2009 in the violence in the region and more than two million people still cannot return to their homes.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 7 million people depend on humanitarian aid to survive in the Lake Chad region, a region on its knees after 10 years of conflict against jihadist groups.
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