Pulka attack: suicide bomber kills five soldiers at a military checkpoint, raising fresh fears across Gwoza and Borno State.

A suicide bomber struck a military checkpoint in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing five soldiers. 

The blast happened on the morning of Sunday, December 14, 2025, and left troops and residents shaken. 

Local sources said the attacker blended in with passersby after spending the night near the checkpoint. When the checkpoint opened, he detonated the explosive device among soldiers on duty, witnesses said. 

Security voices linked the incident to a suspected member of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), saying the bomber came from hideouts in the Mandara Mountains. The claim is consistent with several local reports. 

Residents described the explosion as the first suicide attack in the immediate area in more than a year. The incident has renewed calls from locals for fresh, better-coordinated security tactics to prevent future strikes. 

Health workers and local militia who moved the wounded and deceased to hospital confirmed multiple fatalities at the scene, while military spokesmen and official channels were still being queried at the time of reporting. 

The attack is the latest reminder that insurgent networks remain active across remote border areas of northeastern Nigeria. 

Neighbouring communities and military planners must now weigh short-term protective measures with longer-term efforts to deny militants sanctuary.