Islamist militant groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched coordinated overnight attacks ​on multiple locations in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, killing an army ‌general and several other soldiers, military sources said on Thursday.

Two military sources told Reuters the Benisheikh base was ‌overrun, ⁠killing Brigadier-General Braimah and other soldiers including a captain, and destroying several military vehicles. Reuters could not independently verify the accounts.

An officer involved in the Benisheikh reinforcements said air force aircraft evacuated the dead soldiers on Thursday ​morning after helping ​to drive out ⁠insurgents who had operated in the area for more than three hours.

He said the death toll was still ​being tallied.

A 17-year Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria has ​killed thousands ⁠of people and displaced at least 2 million, according to aid groups, despite major military campaigns.

Boko Haram and ISWAP have intensified attacks on military positions in ⁠northeastern ​Nigeria this year, killing dozens of troops as ​they continue to exploit the region’s difficult terrain, porous borders, and weak state presence.

REUTERS