At the weekend, fighters from the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a predawn raid on the base in Sabon Gari village in Damboa district of the northeastern Borno state, killing troops.

The jihadists also set the base on fire, burnt military vehicles and stole weapons, two military officers who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said.

"The bodies of two more soldiers were recovered yesterday after search and rescue teams combed the area, raising the death toll to eight," a military officer said.

Three more troops were still missing with authorities having launched a search operation, said the other military officer.

Fighter jets deployed from the Borno state capital Maiduguri 100 kilometres (62 miles) away struck the attackers as they retreated, the second military officer said.

A military spokesman said that the jihadists had attacked the base to "retaliate (against) the recent killing of their commander and combatants by troops".

In total, "34 terrorists were killed and 23 AK 47 weapons recovered", along with ammunition, Major General Edward Buba, Nigeria's defence spokesman, said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to the military and the families of the "six brave soldiers".

Tinubu ordered a "thorough investigation to uncover the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident", his office said in a statement.

Since 2009, northern Nigeria has been plagued by violence orchestrated by various jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as armed criminal gangs.

More than 40,000 people have been killed and around two million displaced from their homes in Nigeria's northeast by the conflict.

In November, five Nigerian troops were killed and 10 more wounded when ISWAP fighters raided a base in Kareto village near the border with Niger.