KANO: At least 27 Nigerian soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in the northeast, two army sources said on Sunday.

On Friday, troops launched a ground offensive on a stronghold of the militant Islamic State group in a wasteland straddling Borno and Yobe states.

`The suicide attack killed 27 soldiers, including the commander, and left several others seriously injured,` a military officer said, making this one of the deadliest sui-cide attacks targeting soldiers in recent years.

`It was dark, which made it difficult for the troops to have a clear view of the surroundings,` said another officer about the attack which happened around 2030 GMT.

A suicide bomber rammed his explosivesladen vehicle concealed in thick foliage into a convoy of advancing troops targeting the IS West Africa Province in Timbuktu Triangle, the two military officers said.-AFP