Islamic militants have kidnapped more than 300 people in northeastern Nigeria, officials say.

Abuja, Nigeria — Islamic militants attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria on Friday, abducting more than 300 people, including women and children, local officials said.

According to Bulama Sawa, an official in Gwoza region, the attack took place in Ngoshe town of Borno state. He told The Associated Press that the attack was likely in retaliation for a military operation that killed three commanders of the militant Boko Haram group.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. Nigeria is grappling with a complex security crisis from various armed groups. The United States has sent troops to the West African nation to advise its military in the fight against insecurity.

According to an army spokesman, separate attacks this week took place between Wednesday and Friday in the communities of Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok.

The spokesman, Uba Sani, said the troops were able to repulse attacks on Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok communities, but “several brave soldiers have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty,” with a senior official. He did not elaborate on military casualties.

Sani described the attacks as “failed attacks” and said they showed the “growing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure” by the military.

Ulf Laesing with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation said Friday’s attack on Ngoshe took advantage of the Nigerian military’s difficulties in controlling large areas of the country where jihadist groups operate. Militants are benefiting from increased cross-border cooperation between their groups and the use of drones to track their targets before attacking.

“The army is fighting a ghost – they descend on villages with motorbikes and disappear into the bush before the army can react in time,” Lessing said.

Among the most prominent Islamic extremist groups are Boko Haram and its splinter faction affiliated with the Islamic State group and the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province. There are also the IS-affiliated Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.

Recently, the crisis has escalated to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.

According to the United Nations, several thousand people have been killed in Nigeria. Analysts say the government is not doing enough to protect its citizens.

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McMackin reports from Dakar, Senegal.