Stray bullets killed a newlywed woman and two other residents during a fierce gun battle between soldiers and Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno State, in the early hours of Friday, July 10, 2026. The military successfully repelled multiple terrorist infiltration attempts, but three civilians lost their lives in the crossfire.
Attack on Military Bases
According to Daily Trust, the terrorists targeted two military locations in Maiduguri. They stormed a military base at Kofa around 2:14 a.m. and attacked another at Muna around 2:30 a.m. Witnesses reported that the insurgents arrived on motorcycles, firing sporadically. Sources from both locations confirmed that all attacks were repelled, but three residents were killed by stray bullets.
Eyewitness Accounts
Deborah Usman, a resident of Kofa, recounted the tragedy: “It’s at that time that our neighbor, a three-week-old bride, was hit by a stray bullet on the head and she died instantly.” Many residents fled the area for safety as the insurgents engaged troops at the military post.
In the Muna area, sources said the attackers engaged troops stationed at the Customs office, attempting to infiltrate the capital city. Mannanaye Muhammad, a Muna resident, stated: “They were trying to escape the area when the insurgent shot sporadically at their location. Most of us that decided to stay indoors were not affected, but a woman was also injured by a flying bullet in her residence.” He added that funeral prayers were held and the bodies were scheduled for burial by 12 noon.
Previous Attack
The attack came barely 24 hours after insurgents targeted a military location in Logomani community in Ngala local government area, where a soldier was killed.
Military Response
Confirming the incidents, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, issued a statement: “Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have successfully thwarted multiple coordinated infiltration attempts by ISWAP terrorists across Borno State in the early hours of 10 July 2026.”
The statement detailed: “Between 0020 hours (12:20 a.m.) and 0230 hours (2:30 a.m.), the terrorists attempted to infiltrate into Muna Garage, Shuwari Village, and the Ajilari Cross axis to gain access into the Metropolis. With early warning mechanisms emplaced, troops swiftly detected the advancing terrorists and engaged them from multiple axes with accurate firepower, decisively frustrating all attempts to infiltrate.”
In separate incidents, troops also thwarted infiltration attempts at Miringa and Dutsen Kura in Buratai. During the pursuit of fleeing terrorists at Miringa, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), but no casualties were recorded among troops. The situation remains stable.
“Overwhelmed by the troops’ speedy tactical manoeuvre, the terrorists were forced to abandon their mission and retreat in confusion across all axes,” the statement added. Troops are currently conducting clearance and exploitation operations to pursue the fleeing terrorists, consolidate operational gains, dominate the area, and prevent any further threat to nearby communities.
