"The Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed killing three Nigerian soldiers in a raid on their base in Kareto" in Borno state, said the group, which monitors jihadist activity.

ISWAP claimed in the communique that three soldiers were killed in the clashes and that they captured an "array of weapons and ammunitions as spoils", according to the statement.

The attack on Kareto, a base some 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of the Borno state capital Maiduguri, started late Wednesday.

"We lost three soldiers in the fight and several others are still missing," a military officer in Maiduguri told AFP on Thursday.

At the same time, Boko Haram fighters attacked Mammanti village, just outside Maiduguri, killing one person and burning the entire village.

They then stole hundreds of cattle, the local chief of the village and residents said.

In mid-2016, ideological differences caused Boko Haram to split into two factions, one led by Abubakar Shekau, the other recognised by the IS group.

Despite the Nigerian government's insistence that Boko Haram is near defeat, it still carries out major attacks on military and civilian targets, killing scores.

On November 9, Shekau claimed several attacks in northeast Nigeria in a video message obtained by AFP.

More than 27,000 people have died since the start of the insurgency in the remote northeast in 2009 and 1.8 million are still homeless.