Abuja: Islamic State group-affiliated militants attacked a military base in Nigeria's northeast, killing several Nigerian soldiers, military officials said Wednesday.
The Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, attacked the base in the Kukawa area of Borno State on Tuesday, the Nigerian military said in a statement. Troops repelled the assault, but an unspecified number of soldiers were killed, according to the military. It said “over 25 terrorists” were killed and ammunition was recovered in a counteroffensive.
A senior military officer told The Associated Press that 10 soldiers were killed in the attack. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.
Capt. Mohammed Goni, a military spokesperson, said militants attacked troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion “in large numbers from four different flanks.”
“Supported by the Air Component, the troops overwhelmed the terrorists, inflicted heavy casualties and forced the surviving elements to flee in disarray,” Goni said.
ISWAP, a splinter group of Boko Haram, frequently targets military bases in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in remote and less fortified areas, to seize weapons and weaken the military's operations.
Nigeria has been facing a complex security crisis with Islamic militants and bandit groups operating across the country and carrying out attacks for more than a decade.