At least seven members of a Nigerian protection agency are missing after Boko Haram insurgents ambushed their convoy in Niger state. The attack killed at least 50 insurgents, and the group, known for sabotaging power supplies, has extended its operations beyond the northeast. Boko Haram’s insurgency has caused over 35,000 civilian deaths and displaced 2 million people in the region.

At least seven members of a Nigerian government protection agency are missing following an attack by Boko Haram insurgents on their convoy in north-central Nigeria, according to authorities.

A team of 80 security operatives assigned to protect the nation's power infrastructure was ambushed on Monday in Shiroro, Niger state, by approximately 200 Boko Haram fighters while on a patrol mission. Babawale Afolabi, a spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, confirmed the attack on Tuesday, adding that at least 50 insurgents were killed during the confrontation.

Boko Haram is one of the armed groups notorious for targeting and sabotaging Nigeria’s power supply. Last month, insurgents damaged equipment in northern Nigeria, leading to a power outage that lasted more than seven days, as reported by the state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria.

Though Boko Haram primarily operates in Nigeria’s northeastern region, the government acknowledges the presence of the group’s cells in Niger state, a largely Muslim region. The group has previously carried out attacks in the area, targeting both the military and civilians.

The Nigerian militant group, which took up arms in 2009 to oppose Western education and impose a radical form of Islamic law, has been engaged in a prolonged insurgency that has become Africa's longest-running militant conflict. The violence has also spread to neighboring countries in the region.

The United Nations reports that over 35,000 civilians have been killed, and more than 2 million displaced in northeastern Nigeria due to the conflict. The 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok in Borno state, Boko Haram’s stronghold, drew international condemnation and attention to the insurgency.

In September, suspected Boko Haram fighters killed at least 100 villagers in northeastern Nigeria, opening fire on a market, worshippers, and residents in their homes, according to reports from locals.