MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Islamist militants backed by armed drones raided an army base in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, killing several troops in the early hours of Thursday, the military said, in the second assault reported there this week.
The use of drones by the fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in recent attacks has marked a significant escalation in the violence in the region, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba said.
The militants struck the Sabon Gari base before dawn, storming the perimeter and briefly breaching part of the facility, Uba said.
While they were fighting, their drone bombardment destroyed several military vehicles, including an excavator and a low-bed trailer, he added.
The army regained control after reinforcements arrived, repelled the attack and were pursuing the militants, Uba said.
Some soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force members "paid the supreme price," he said, without giving details on the numbers.
Two security sources told Reuters at least nine soldiers and two task force members were killed, with around 16 others wounded.
Nigeria's military has pushed deeper into insurgent strongholds in the northeast this year as part of a renewed offensive against militant groups.
But despite repeated operations, Boko Haram and its splinter faction ISWAP continue to mount large-scale attacks, exploiting difficult terrain, porous borders and a weak state presence across parts of the arid northeast.
Borno, where Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians, remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency.
(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and Kolawole Adewale in Maiduguri; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
