At least nine Nigerian soldiers have been killed in a jihadist attack in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, two security sources said on Wednesday.

Islamic State (IS) jihadists in West Africa, driving about a dozen vehicles armed with heavy machine guns, attacked a military post in the town of Magoumeri on Tuesday afternoon.

“The terrorists took over the position around 16:00 (local time – 18:00 Cyprus time) and dispersed the troops, killing nine,” one of the two sources told AFP.

Also read: Jihadists in Nigeria have killed nearly 70 people

The report was confirmed by the second source, according to which the perpetrators also set fire to an armored tank and an excavator that were used to prevent attacks. Army reinforcements arriving from the state capital, Maiduguri, 50km away, attacked the jihadists as they retreated, killing 20, according to the two sources.

The ISWA claimed responsibility for the attack yesterday, assuring that its members killed 10 soldiers and seized weapons and vehicles. The group also claimed responsibility for another attack on a post near the port of Baga in Lake Chad, which is mainly used by fishermen, claiming that its members had killed ten other soldiers.

The ISWA has intensified its attacks on Magoumeri in recent days, in particular by setting fire to a clinic and a public administration building and seizing the residents’ mobile phones and other personal belongings. Some residents have begun to flee, while army reinforcements have been deployed to protect the city.

Source: CNA 

Also read: Mali | President resigns after being arrested by insurgent soldiers – VIDEO