Nigerian military says 6 soldiers killed in Boko Haram clash

Major-General Edward Buba said Wednesday the military had killed 34 Islamist militants in a gun battle in which six soldiers also died in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State.

He said the militants belonged to the Boko Haram and "Islamic State" West Africa Province (ISWAP) groups, who launched pre-dawn attacks on Sunday.

What we know about the attack

The militants launched their attack from trucks and motorcycles at the Sabon Gari base in Borno State's Damboa district. They were said to have ambushed troops returning to the base, as well as military vehicles.

According to the military, soldiers backed up by reinforcements from the Civilian Joint Taskforce and vigilante groups, successfully repelled the attack.

Fighter planes deployed from the regional capital Maiduguri, 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) away, retaliated against the attackers as they retreated, resulting in further insurgent casualties.

"Air strikes against the fleeing terrorists resulted in multiple militant fatalities, the destruction of operational vehicles, and their weaponry," one officer said.

Northern Nigeria has suffered attacks and atrocities by various jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and its ISWAP offshoot, since 2009. Armed criminal groups have also posed a threat in the region.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in fighting in the northeast, with some two million displaced from their homes.

rc/lo (Reuters, AFP)