Nigerian troops kill 10 Boko Haram fighters in repelled attack

ABUJA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops killed 10 Boko Haram fighters when they repelled a violent attack launched on a military unit in the northeastern state of Borno, local sources said on Thursday.

The terrorists attacked the military unit late Wednesday in Mainok community, situated in Kaga local area of Borno, about 73 kilometers to the state capital Maiduguri, said Lawal Wasaram, the former head of the local government area.

Wasaram said an unknown number of terrorists were also wounded as the troops engaged the group in a gunfight.

Mainok is one of the communities held by the terror group, but liberated by troops two years ago and recently rehabilitated by the government.

The community has seen a high number of returnees due to the relative peace in the area.

A local official told Xinhua the Boko Haram tried to infiltrate the community by first attacking the military base late Wednesday.

Nigeria has made considerable gains against the terror group, dislodging its fighters from the Sambisa Forest, the group's largest training camp in the country, early this year.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of more than 20,000 people and displacement of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since 2009. Enditem