Damaturu/Abuja — Seventeen police officers have been killed in an attack blamed on suspected terrorists targeting the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, in what security sources described as one of the deadliest assaults on the facility in recent years.
The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the casualties following the attack in Yobe State, though details regarding additional injuries or operational losses were not immediately released.
According to security sources, heavily armed insurgents attacked the military-linked training facility, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire.
The assault comes barely 24 hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Nigerian and American forces jointly killed a senior ISIS figure identified as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki during a counterterrorism operation in Nigeria.
Although Nigerian authorities have not officially connected both incidents, the timing has intensified concerns over escalating insurgent activity and possible retaliatory attacks by extremist groups operating in the region.
Northeastern Nigeria remains the centre of prolonged insurgency involving ISWAP, Boko Haram factions, and other armed extremist networks active across the Lake Chad basin.
Despite years of military offensives and international counterterrorism cooperation, insurgent groups have continued carrying out attacks on military formations, police units, and civilian communities across parts of the northeast.
The Buni Yadi assault also adds to growing concerns over repeated attacks on security installations in recent months, particularly in Borno State and Yobe State.
Security analysts say the latest attack underscores the continuing operational resilience of extremist groups despite sustained military pressure.
Authorities are yet to release a full operational assessment as security operations continue in the area.