ABUJA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three Boko Haram militants were confirmed killed during a clearance operation by troops in Nigeria's northeastern town of Gwoza, said the army on Thursday.
The operation, aimed at clearing the remnants of Boko Haram militants in the town located in the northern state of Borno, was carried out in collaboration with a government-backed militia group, the Civilian Joint Task Force, on Wednesday.
Army spokesman Sagir Musa said a gunfight ensued between the troops and the Boko Haram group in Kirawa community of the town, leading to the death of the militants.
Some of the militants fled, he said.
An unconfirmed number of militants were also wounded during the gunfight, Musa said.
"No soldier was killed, wounded or missing in action during the encounter," he said.
The northeast region of the most populous African country has been destabilized for over a decade by Boko Haram, which kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls in 2014.
