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The militants, suspected members of Boko Haram or the Islamic
State West Africa Province, were supported by multiple armed
drones when they attacked the base in Mallam Fatori in the state
of Borno, near the border with Niger, at around 12:50 a.m., army
spokesperson Sani Uba said in a statement.
Uba said the troops had anticipated the assault and repelled it
with ground fire and air support, killing at least 80 fighters,
including three “high-profile” commanders. The Associated Press
could not independently verify the claims.
A previous statement by the army put the death toll at over 60.
The army spokesperson said four soldiers were wounded evacuated
for treatment. He said troops recovered a large cache of weapons
from suspected militants, including assault rifles, RPG
launchers, machine guns, ammunition, improvised explosive
devices and armed drone components.
The attack comes after three suspected suicide bombings Monday
killed at least 23 people and wounded 108 others in Borno's
capital Maiduguri. No group claimed responsibility for the
attacks, but suspicion quickly fell on the Boko Haram jihadi
group, which in 2009 launched an insurgency in northeastern
Nigeria to enforce their radical interpretation of Sharia, or
Islamic law.
Boko Haram has since become stronger, with thousands of fighters
and different factions. One of its offshoots, the Islamic State
West Africa Province, which is backed by the Islamic State
group, has staged a growing number of attacks against the
military in recent months.
The crisis has overstretched the Nigerian military, which also
battles other security crises across the conflict-battered
north.
More than 40,000 people in Nigeria have been killed since Boko
Haram's insurgency began, according to data from the United
Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government
to protect its citizens.
The U.S. sent troops last month to the West African nation to
help advise its military on the fight against insecurity.
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Dyepkazah Shibayan in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.
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