Nigerian army kills more than 70 Boko Haram militants

With the help of militia, the Nigerian army on March 3 announced that it had killed more than 73 Boko Haram militants when it thwarted an unsuccessful attack by the Islamist insurgent group to capture the strategic town of Konduga in northeastern Borno state.

Boko Haram's armored vehicle was burned by Nigerian government forces. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

That same morning, about 150 Boko Haram gunmen entered the town of Konduga and opened fire on soldiers stationed there, leading to a gun battle that lasted for 6 hours.

According to Mr. Butari Mala, a militiaman, at least 73 Boko Haram gunmen were killed in this counter-attack, while the rest fled and are being pursued. A source from the Nigerian army confirmed the above figure.

Nigerian soldiers and militia have repelled more than a dozen Boko Haram attacks on the town of Konduga, located 35km southeast of the Borno state capital Maiduguri.

Soldiers and militiamen are currently stationed here to prevent Boko Haram from using the town as a springboard to attack the capital Maiduguri, which the rebel group considers a key target in its plan to establish an extremist Islamic state.

Boko Haram has become the biggest security threat to Nigeria since 2009 when it launched an insurgency aimed at establishing an Islamic state in the north of Africa's most populous country.

Boko Haram currently holds a large swath of territory spanning dozens of towns in three northeastern states. Boko Haram-related violence has claimed more than 13,000 lives and displaced millions.

According to Vietnam+