Aid group facilities targeted in northeast Nigeria

Suspected Islamic extremists have attacked and set ablaze the offices of several international aid groups in Nigeria's embattled north-east.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's attack in Damasak, but suspicion fell on a faction of extremists aligned with the Islamic State group.

The Norwegian Refugee Council said the attack jeopardised its work and threatened the lives of many aid workers.

A representative said the five staff members staying in Damasak escaped unharmed.

However, a NRC guesthouse went up in flames, destroying aid supplies and a number of vehicles.

The attack renewed fears for the safety of humanitarian workers, who support 8,800 internally displaced people and 76,000 local residents, according to the United Nations.

An insurgency aimed at establishing an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has now lasted more than a decade.

Militants from Boko Haram and the group known as ISWAP frequently target humanitarian hubs in northeast Nigeria.

The attack on Damasak is the fourth on the town and its surrounding area this year and the second attack on humanitarians in the past two months in northeast Nigeria.