Insurgents, thought to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have killed five soldiers and wounded four more in an attack on Kamuya village in Borno State on Friday, April 16.

AFP reported that the attackers dislodged troops from a base in the village after a gunfight.

The insurgents sacked the base, forcing troops to withdraw in disarray, a military officer said.

After the attack, “dozens” of soldiers were reportedly missing.

The military officer said they were conducting a “search and rescue” operation to locate the missing soldiers.

The officer said: “It was a terrible encounter in Kamuya because they stole high-profile weapons after killing some troops.”

Barron’s reported that more than 20 people were killed following days of attacks on the town of Damasak in the past week when the militants burnt offices of international aid agencies and several homes.

Armed men also attacked Dikwa for the third time in less than two months on Sunday.

The insurgents, thought to be ISWAP members, stormed the town from different directions in two vehicles and one motorcycle at about 5pm.

The Nigerian military, who had been alerted to the impending attack, fought against the insurgents for about five hours.

A source, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The invaders are hungry for military hardware and that is why they are raiding military bases. They are not after territorial conquests, they want arms and ammunition. They also attack towns and villages for food.”

Drugs and Tamuwa, a high-energy alternate fuel source made into premium briquettes and pellets, were looted and some buildings in the internally displaced persons’Shehu Massa camp were set alight, including the clinic.