LAGOS: Up to 70 soldiers were killed after Boko Haram gunmen ambushed a military base in restive northeastern Nigeria's Borno state some days ago, a security official told Xinhua Friday.
The deadly attack was carried out by a group of Boko Haram terrorists and targeted the 157 Task Force Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Melete area of Borno, the security source said on condition of anonymity.
Most of the killed soldiers, including a Lieutenant colonel were overrun by the terrorists who came firing mercilessly, the source added, noting that a number of soldiers went missing after the attack.
The casualty figure and details of the attack remained hazy as at Thursday.
An unverified video seen by Xinhua claimed that the figure was 90; others said it was not up to that.
Military spokesmen did not respond to inquiries by our reporters.
A large cache of arms, ammunition and military equipment were reportedly carted away by Boko Haram fighters during the raid.
The Monday evening attack was described as a huge setback for troops fighting to end insurgency.