But an officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants had overrun an army base, and put the death toll at 18. The attack followed an attempted raid on a nearby military base along the highway in Kukareta village, 20 km from Damaturu, Nwachukwu said. "The terrorists killed 17 soldiers in the attack, which lasted for more than an hour," an officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. "They took over the military base after overpowering troops and burnt it down. In September 2013, Boko Haram fighters disguised as soldiers barricaded the highway and killed 167 people, in the worst attack targeting motorists.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 26, 2018 12:33 UTC