At least 48 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have been killed and 54 assorted weapons recovered by Nigerian troops following coordinated attacks on military positions in Yobe State.

The casualties followed overnight offensives against military formations in Buni Yadi and Bitta, where troops of Operation Hadin Kai engaged the insurgents in separate encounters.

The first attack began at about 9pm on Thursday when insurgents launched an assault on troops stationed in Buni Yadi, with the confrontation extending into the early hours of Friday.

Military sources said the troops, supported by fighter aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, mounted a counter-offensive that overwhelmed the attackers and forced the surviving fighters to retreat.

The operation reportedly left 48 insurgents dead, while troops recovered a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition abandoned by the fleeing fighters.

The recovered arsenal included 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT guns, four general-purpose machine guns, a 60-millimetre mortar and 105 AK-47 magazines.

Thousands of rounds of ammunition and two video cameras were also recovered from the battlefield.

However, the military recorded casualties, with one soldier killed and two others injured during the Buni Yadi encounter.

In a separate confrontation, troops repelled another ISWAP assault on a military camp in Bitta, killing several insurgents and recovering additional weapons.

Two soldiers sustained injuries during the engagement.

Items recovered at Bitta included two AK-47 rifles, a PKT gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and three RPG bombs.

Military sources said troops had continued exploitation operations in both locations, while pursuing insurgents who escaped during the encounters.

The latest operations underscore the continuing battle to protect military formations in the North-East, where ISWAP fighters have repeatedly targeted security installations and deployed personnel.