At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and about 50 wounded when Boko Haram militants attacked a military formation in Borno State, security sources said Wednesday.
The assault unfolded on Monday as insurgents arrived on motorcycles and in armoured vehicles, cutting through the dusty terrain of northeastern Nigeria.
A military source said the targeted unit was part of an ongoing offensive aimed at flushing fighters from the notorious Timbuktu Triangle stronghold.
Troops and militants exchanged heavy gunfire, turning the remote battlefield into a thunderous clash of weapons and smoke.
In a statement, the military said forces had recently cleared several militant hideouts and disrupted planned attacks involving vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.
The army said one explosive-laden vehicle was neutralised, but a second breached defensive lines, killing soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force members.
A CJTF member confirmed the attack, saying government forces were outnumbered during the assault and struggled to contain advancing militants.
The Timbuktu Triangle, a vast and difficult-to-access zone in Borno, has long served as a launchpad for coordinated militant attacks.
Boko Haram, which emerged in 2009, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The group later splintered, with one faction aligning with Islamic State to form ISWAP, which increasingly targets military bases.
Despite repeated offensives, militants continue major attacks, exploiting harsh terrain, porous borders and limited state presence in the arid northeast.
Security sources said troops have withdrawn to a base in Damboa, as the dead and wounded were transported to a military hospital in Maiduguri.
