83 Nigerian soldiers missing after Boko Haram attacks

Senior military officers say 83 soldiers are missing after Boko Haram Sunni extremists attacked a remote base in northeastern Nigeria.

Senior military officers say 83 soldiers are missing after Boko Haram Sunni extremists attacked a remote 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 authorized to give information to reporters.

Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman said last week that some soldiers were missing and 13 wounded when the insurgents attacked their base in Gashigar village, on the border with Niger, on Oct. 17.

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.