LAGOS, Nigeria
Dozens of Boko Haram militants were killed in clashes with Nigerian troops on Friday night, army soldiers in Maiduguri told Anadolu Agency.
"We engaged several terrorists trying to invade Maiduguri late Friday night through Saturday morning," a soldier from the 7th Division of the Nigerian army told Anadolu Agency. "Scores of terrorists were killed while others fled with injuries. Eight were taken alive."
"We also lost three soldiers," the source added.
The Friday night gun duel comes amid rising attacks by the militants.
An estimated 406 people have been killed in the past three weeks in Boko Haram attacks and suicide bombings in towns where heavy security presence makes direct assaults difficult for the group.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that his administration's resolve to crush the militants remains strong, although citizens are beginning to lose patience.
Some analysts are likening Buhari's press statements condemning the Boko Haram attacks to the same laid back response of the previous administration.
