Following an attack on an army post in a rural village in northeastern Borno state, suspected Islamist rebels killed at least 20 Nigerian troops, included a commanding officer, according to security sources and locals on Sunday.
Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram have mostly operated in Borno, killing and uprooting hundreds of thousands of people while focusing on security forces and civilians.
The most recent incident occurred on Friday when ISWAP fighters ambushed the army's 149 Battalion in Malam-Fatori town, which is the entry point to the Niger border, after arriving on gun trucks, according to two troops and locals.