At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and 50 wounded on when Boko Haram terrorists attacked a military formation in Borno State, security sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The terrorists arrived by motorcycle and in armoured vehicles in the incident on Monday, the sources revealed.

A military source said the military formation was part of an offensive to flush out terrorists from the Timbuktu Triangle in northeastern Nigeria.

The terrorists engaged the troops in a heavy gun battle, according to the sources.

Military tackles Boko Haram terrorists

In a statement on Wednesday, the military said troops had cleared terrorists in the Timbuktu Triangle and disrupted planned attacks with vehicle‑borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

The military said troops neutralised one explosive‑laden vehicle but a second breached defensive positions, killing several soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a group that supports the military. A CJTF member confirmed the attack.

Boko Haram, a terrorist group that emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2009, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

The Nigerian military has since withdrawn its forces from the Timbuktu Triangle to a base in Damboa, according to the sources.

The bodies of those killed and the wounded were being transported to the military hospital at Maimalari Barracks in Maiduguri.