By the information of Reuters, the soldiers were evacuating villages in the region on Saturday to carry out operations against Boko Haram.
Boko Haram militants opened fire as the soldiers were escorting groups of evacuees from a village in Borno state, where Boko Haram and other militants have been fighting for a decade.

“They ambushed and surrounded the vehicles of both the soldiers and the civilians and opened fire on them,” said one of the sources, part of a vigilante group that fights alongside the military against the insurgencies.

“They exchanged fire for some minutes before the Boko Haram militants overpowered the soldiers.”

25 soldiers and some civilians died in the attack.

Nigeria’s government has said the Boko Haram insurgency, and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province group, are on their last legs. 

There was another deadly attack this week. International Christian Concern reported that on the night of Monday, 20 May, Boko Haram militants loyal to the ISWAP faction attacked a military outpost near the town of Gubio in Borno State. In the attack, the terrorist killed 20 soldiers and captured another 9. According to a video later released by the group, those nine were then executed.