Eight killed in Nigeria jihadist attacks, say military

Eight people, including three soldiers, were killed in jihadist attacks on an army base and village in northeast Nigeria ahead of Monday's Eid al-Adha festival, military sources said.

Three troops and three civilians died on Saturday when fighters from the IS-aligned Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group attacked a base in Gubio, a town 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the regional capital Maiduguri, two sources said Sunday.

Three soldiers were killed "defending the base from ISWAP terrorists who wanted to overrun it", the first source said.

"Three civilians were hit and killed in crossfire," said the source, an officer who asked not to be identified for fear of punishment.

Two soldiers and six civilians were injured, he said.

The jihadists attacked the base in eight pickup trucks fitted with machine guns, leading to a two-hour long battle, said the second source, who gave the same toll.

The attack was repelled with the aid of a fighter jet which deployed two hours into the ..