ABUJA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian army on Friday confirmed 15 Boko Haram militants were killed in an encounter with troops on Thursday in the country's northeastern state of Borno.
Col. Aminu Iliyasu, a spokesman for the army in that part of the country, said multinational forces and Chadian defense forces joined in the gunfight.
Troops were on a joint clearance operation when they encountered the Boko Haram militants who had laid an ambush at Jigalta village near Marari, some 27 km to the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
Iliyasu said the Boko Haram fighters laid the ambush with five gun trucks. Two of the gun trucks were destroyed and two others were recovered.
Few of the Boko Haram militants fled with gunshot wounds, said the army spokesman, adding one Nigerian army soldier was killed during the crossfire while a Chadian soldier was also wounded in action.
The Boko Haram is known for its agenda to maintain a virtual caliphate in the most populous African country.
