Nigerian soldiers repel an attack on a base and kill 80 Islamic militants, army says

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MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -- Nigerian soldiers backed by air support repelled an attack Wednesday by suspected Islamic militants on a military base in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 80 of the assailants, the army said.

The militants, suspected members of Boko Haram or the Islamic State West Africa Province, were supported by multiple armed drones when they attacked the base in Mallam Fatori in the state of Borno, near the border with Niger, at around 12:50 a.m., army spokesperson Sani Uba said in a statement.

Uba said the troops had anticipated the assault and repelled it with ground fire and air support, killing at least 80 fighters, including three “high-profile” commanders. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims.

A previous statement by the army put the death toll at over 60.

The army spokesperson said four soldiers were wounded evacuated for treatment. He said troops recovered a large cache of weapons from suspected militants, including assault rifles, RPG launchers, machine guns, ammunition, improvised explosive devices and armed drone components.

The attack comes after three suspected suicide bombings Monday killed at least 23 people and wounded 108 others in Borno’s capital Maiduguri. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suspicion quickly fell on the Boko Haram jihadi group, which in 2009 launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria to enforce their radical interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law.

Boko Haram has since become stronger, with thousands of fighters and different factions. One of its offshoots, the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is backed by the Islamic State group, has staged a growing number of attacks against the military in recent months.

The crisis has overstretched the Nigerian military, which also battles other security crises across the conflict-battered north.

More than 40,000 people in Nigeria have been killed since Boko Haram’s insurgency began, according to data from the United Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government to protect its citizens.

The U.S. sent troops last month to the West African nation to help advise its military on the fight against insecurity.

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Haruna Umar, The Associated Press

Dyepkazah Shibayan in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.