LAGOS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Six Boko Haram militants were killed in a military operation in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the army said late on Tuesday.
Army spokesperson Mohammed Yerima said in a statement that troops on a patrol in the Dikwa local government area of Borno came in contact with terrorists on motorcycles and a gun truck Monday evening.
"The troops ... swiftly engaged them in a fierce firefight, killing six of them and recovered several weapons, ammunition and sundry items," said Yerima.
He said troops will "remain resolute and determined to ensure that the general area is completely cleared and protected while aggressively dominating every route where terrorists are suspected to move around in order to smoke them out."
Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The terror group has also extended its attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. Enditem
