Gov't forces intercept 69 Boko Haram family members in NE Nigeria

A total of 69 people fleeing their hideouts in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno have been intercepted by government forces, an official said on Thursday.

Nigerian troops on observation post on Wednesday sighted a group of persons suspected to be Boko Haram escaping Sambisa Forest, the insurgents' largest training camp where troops are currently carrying out offensive operation, said army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman.

"On arrival, they were received and treated humanely based on International Humanitarian Laws and Rules of Engagement," he said.

Preliminary investigation showed that all 69 of them were family members of Boko Haram insurgents, according to him.

The army spokesman said at the initial stage of interrogation, they claimed to have escaped from Boko Haram's captivity at a village called Ngwalimari near the Sambisa Forest but further interrogation revealed otherwise.

Boko Haram has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly in northeastern Nigeria, since it launched its campaign of violence in 2009.

The Nigerian army and other local security agencies have made tremendous progress in the fight against the terror group in the past year, retaking most of the areas previously under insurgents' control. Endit