MAIDUGURI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - About 20 soldiers were killed
and nearly 1,000 people made homeless in a militant attack on a
town in northeastern Nigeria, two residents and a military
source said on Wednesday.
The militants entered Monguno in Borno state posing as a
convoy of soldiers on the evening of Jan. 7, the sources said.
They then attacked troops already inside the town, destroying at
least 750 homes in the process.
Resident Gumati Sadu said people fled into the bush for
safety during the fighting and that three civilians were killed
by stray bullets.
A military spokesman declined comment.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
A decade-long insurgency campaign by Boko Haram has killed
thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from
Boko Haram in 2016, has since staged its own frequent attacks in
the region.
Thousands in Monguno had already been displaced from their
homes elsewhere in Borno state by militants. Aid group Medecins
Sans Frontieres warned last year that many thousands in Monguno
lacked proper shelter, water, sanitation and food.