Mohammed Goni, a military spokesperson, stated that the fighting occurred after the Army repelled an attack by the faction; he confirmed the deaths of several soldiers but did not specify the exact number of casualties.

According to the spokesperson, the assault on the Army base in Kukawa, Borno, was launched from multiple directions.

Several Islamist groups operate in northern Nigeria—Africa’s most populous country—including Boko Haram, its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction, and the group known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin; these groups engage in kidnappings and armed attacks against villages, schools, and Christian churches.

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