Nigeria's Boko Haram unrest: Scores killed in Borno state

The army says it killed 150 militants, while
16 soldiers died and nine more are missing.
However, local media report that around 100
soldiers may have died.
BBC Nigeria analyst Bashir Abdullahi says it
is clear that the army still faces a tough
battle with Boko Haram.
He notes that the military often plays down
its own casualty figures.
Army spokesman Ibrahim Attahiru said a heavily
guarded militant base in the Kasiya forest
north of the state capital Maiduguri was
raided on 12 September - this is the first
time the details have been made public.
Brig Attahiru said the militants had gathered
at a "well fortified position with anti-tank
and anti-aircraft guns mounted on vehicles".
He also said that a
militant commander, Abba
Goroma, who had a bounty of
10m naira ($62,000;
£39,000), was among those
killed.
Communications with Borno state have been
severely disrupted since May, when a state of
emergency was declared in Borno and two
neighbouring states.
Boko Haram has not commented on the reports.
Several thousand people have been killed since
the militant group launched its insurgency in
2009, seeking to create an Islamic state in
the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.
Under the state of emergency thousands of
extra troops have been sent to the area.
Local vigilante groups have also been formed
to help counter the militants but scores of
these volunteers have been killed in recent
weeks.
Last month, the army said it had killed Boko
Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau but this has
not been confirmed and the militants' attacks
have continued.
Brig Attahiru also said that President
Jonathan had ordered the deployment of extra
troops to the central state of Nasarawa, east
of the capital Abuja, following ethnic clashes
which have left a reported 50 people dead in
recent days.
The army says it has killed Boko Haram
leader Abubakar Shekau

Source-bbcnews

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