ABUJA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian army on Saturday said five Boko Haram fighters were killed as troops intensify efforts to clear the remnants of the terror group in the country's northeast region.
Onyema Nwachukwu, an army spokesman in Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, said the five Boko Haram fighters were shot dead at a hideout in Parisu, near the Sambisa Forest, on Friday.
The troops also rescued three civilians from Boko Haram captivity during the operation, the army spokesman said.
According to Nwachukwu, the troops had been engaging the Boko Haram fighters since late Thursday.
Boko Haram has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria, killing some 20,000 people and displacing millions of others.
