Senior military officers say 83 soldiers are missing after Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked aremote base in northeastern Nigeria.
Officers said the soldiers were unable to fight back because they were poorly equipped. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to give information to reporters.
Army spokesperson Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said last week that some soldiers were missing and 13 wounded when the insurgents on October 17 attacked their base in Gashigar village, on the border with Niger. Usman has not responded to requests for comment about the actual number.
Officers say dozens of fleeing troops jumped into the Niger River and 22 were pulled from the water by soldiers from the neighboring country. They say many may have drowned.
