The number of soldiers killed in a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Yobe state has risen to eight, security sources said on Tuesday.
Gunmen from Boko Haram faction the Islamic State West Africa Province attacked the base on Saturday in Buni Gari village, 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Damaturu, the state capital.
Two soldiers and six insurgents were initially said to have been killed in the attack. But sources on Tuesday said eight soldiers were killed.
“The death toll is now eight. Six more bodies of soldiers were later recovered and moved to Damaturu,” a military officer, who did not want to be named, told AFP.
A civilian militia fighting jihadists in the area confirmed the recovery of six more bodies of soldiers.
“All the eight dead soldiers are now in the morgue at the Specialist Hospital in Damaturu,” said a spokesperson for the militia, who asked not to be identified for fear of sanction.
Military authorities were not immediately available to comment on the new toll.
The Boko Haram faction has in recent months intensified attacks on military targets in Borno and Yobe states.
The two regions, along with nearby Adamawa state, have borne the brunt of nine years of jihadist violence that has claimed 27,000 lives and forced 1.8 million people to flee their homes.
Since July, there have been 19 reported attacks on military bases in Borno and Yobe and ISWAP has claimed responsibility for most of them. – AFP.
