Boko Haram fighters killed nine soldiers and wounded two others in northeast Nigeria, according to military sources, just days after 43 civilians died in deadly suicide bombings. Both attacks came as the government, which says the jihadists are on the verge of defeat, urges those displaced by the conflict to return to their homes across the war-torn region.
Troops from 242 battalion Nigerian Army stationed at Gajiram, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, came under attack on Monday afternoon. The Borno state police initially said its officers and soldiers "engaged the terrorists and promptly repelled the attack". "There was no casualty on the side of the police," it added.
But military communications seen by AFP said nine soldiers were classed as "KIA" - killed in action - while two others were "WIA" - wounded in action. Locals said they had seen between 10 and 12 Boko Haram fighters being loaded into vehicles but it was not clear how many were dead or injured, it added.