Battle of Alagarno

Last updated
Battle of Alagarno
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
DateOctober 21, 2013
Location
Result Nigerian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Islamic State flag.svg Boko Haram
Units involved

Nigerian Army

  • 7th Division

Nigerian Air Force

  • 79th Composite Group
Unknown
Casualties and losses
None 37 killed
Several injured

On October 21, 2013, clashes broke out between Boko Haram militants and Nigerian forces in Alagarno, Borno State, Nigeria.

Contents

Background

Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a jihadist social and political movement in a failed rebellion in northeast Nigeria. [1] Throughout the following years, Abubakar Shekau unified militant Islamist groups in the region and continued to foment the rebellion against the Nigerian government, conducting terrorist attacks and bombings in cities and communities across the region. [2] In September 2013, Nigerian forces launched an offensive against a major Boko Haram camp in the Kasiya Forest, leading to over 100 militant deaths, but the survivors began targeting Nigerian soldiers nearby in the days that followed. [3] Alagarno is a remote village where Boko Haram had been active. [4] [5]

Battle

Nigerian forces launched an offensive against a Boko Haram camp in Alagarno on the night of October 21. [4] The attack was carried out by the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army with the aid of the 79th Composite Group of the Air Force based in Maiduguri. [6] A spokesman for the 7th Division stated that 37 jihadists were killed, and many others were wounded and fled during the battle. [6] The battle involved ground and aerial assaults. [7]

Aftermath

Despite the Nigerian seizure of the camp, Boko Haram militants maintained a presence near Alagarno. On November 13, nine militants were killed by army forces along the Rimanti-Alagarno road. [8]

References

  1. Walker, Andrew (2016-02-04). "Join us or die: the birth of Boko Haram". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  2. "Nigeria unrest: 'Boko Haram' gunmen kill 44 at mosque". BBC News. 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  3. "Violence continues in Nigeria's northeast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  4. 1 2 "Nigeria says kills 37 Islamists in air, ground assault". Reuters. 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  5. "Inside the Vigilante Fight Against Boko Haram (Published 2014)". 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  6. 1 2 "Nigeria:37 membres de Boko Haram tués". Le Figaro (in French). 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  7. Soniyi, Tobi; Olugbode, Michael (October 23, 2013). "Nigeria: Army - 37 Boko Haram Suspects Killed in Air, Land Attacks". This Day via AllAfrica. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  8. vanguard (2013-11-15). "Nine terrorist killed in Borno raid". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2025-09-02.