Nigerian troops killed more than 25 Islamic State-aligned militants as they fought off an assault on a military position in northeastern Borno State, suffering an unknown number of casualties of their own, military sources and a member of the civilian defense force said, Report informs, citing Reuters.
In a separate, earlier incident, gunmen on motorbikes killed more than 25 soldiers and over 100 small-scale gold miners in Zamfara State, in the northwest, a military source, government official, and three residents said.
In the incident in the northeast, troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion came under attack on Tuesday night from four directions in Kukawa, near Lake Chad, but repelled the assault with air support, according to the military.
“Preliminary assessment indicates that over 25 terrorists were neutralized, with 14 bodies recovered so far,” Captain Mohammed Goni, acting military information officer for Operation Hadin Kai, said in a statement. Troops seized six AK-47 rifles and ammunition during follow-up operations.
The military sources said some soldiers were killed in the fighting but did not provide details.
A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, which supports military operations in the northeast, said more than three of its members were killed.
The military said it would continue joint operations to prevent militants from regrouping and launching further attacks.