Militants kill at least 23 in Nigeria attack, security sources say

At least 23 farmers and fishermen were killed and others abducted by suspected Islamist militants in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state this week, security sources and local residents told Reuters.

Nigeria has been grappling with a long-running insurgency in its northeast, primarily driven by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.

The latest attack happened in the village of Malam Karanti on Thursday morning, the security sources and residents said.

A spokesman for Nigeria's army did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking comment.

Local resident Sani Auwal said by phone that militants had gathered farmers and fishermen near the village and killed 23 people, many of them bean farmers. They spared an elderly man who later alerted the community, he said.

Another local resident Usman Ali said the community had tried to recover the bodies of those killed but had been chased back by the militants.

Last month Borno's governor acknowledged that Boko Haram had renewed attacks and kidnappings in the state, reversing previous gains by security forces.