Nigerian troops pursue Boko Haram fighters after repelling attack: official

ABUJA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops are in pursuit of Boko Haram fighters after repelling an attack by the terror group near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, an official said on Tuesday.

Rogers Nicholas, the commander of the troops fighting Boko Haram in Borno State, said ground troops and the air force were in hot pursuit, interdicting the fleeing terrorists from Maiduguri, where they had attempted to infiltrate on Monday.

Nicholas said the army successfully repelled an attack on a military post in Moloi, a few kilometers from Maiduguri, with "no loss of lives to (its) own troops."

The terrorists had used an Improvised Explosive Device and gun trucks to attack the military post, trying to infiltrate Maiduguri to steal foodstuff.

The troops' commander said two vehicles were set ablaze by the Boko Haram fighters, who also torched thatched houses at the outskirts of the city in their retreat. Enditem