(Updates with ISWAP claim of the attack)
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, 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 Tuesday evening, the sources said. They
then attacked troops 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 to comment.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed
responsibility for the attack on its Amaq news agency.
It said that one of its militants detonated a car bomb in
the town, killing at least 8 soldiers and destroying 3 armoured
vehicles.
The group also said it had seized a vehicle, weapons and
ammunition before leaving the town.
ISWAP split from Islamist group Boko Haram in 2016 and has
since staged its own frequent attacks in the region.
Boko Haram's decade-long insurgency campaign has killed
thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
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.