Islamic State said on Wednesday its West African branch carried out an attack on a Nigerian army base in northeastern Borno state and that its fighters killed 12 soldiers.
A military source put the toll higher, saying up to 25 soldiers were killed after insurgents traveling on trucks mounted with guns attacked the base on Monday around 5:30 p.m. (1630 GMT). He said fighting lasted for about three hours. A local resident said he saw the bodies of six dead Nigerian soldiers.
The attack in the town of Gajiram, in which the insurgents said the barracks were burned, followed a similar assault on a base last week and suicide bombings that killed 30 people on Sunday. The attacks raise questions about government assertions to have almost defeated the insurgents.