Nigerian troops kill 29 Boko Haram militants in anti-terror operations

Nigerian military on Thursday said a total of 29 Boko Haram militants were recently killed in the country's northeast region, following a series of anti-operations by troops.

Bernard Onyeuko, the spokesman for the military, told reporters in Abuja at a press briefing that some 13 other militants and informants or collaborators were arrested as the military intensified the anti-terror operations in the northeastern state of Borno in the past two weeks.

"Cumulatively, within the period, a total of 29 terrorists were neutralized and 13 terrorists including their informants or collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested in the course of the operations," Onyeuko said.

A total of 13,243 militants and their families have so far surrendered to troops in that region of the country since June, he said, adding this was as a result of "the sustained aggressive posture with vigor" of the military.

The series of land and air operations conducted in different locations across the northeast theater had reduced the operational capabilities of the Boko Haram terror group, Onyeuko said.

Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The terror group has also extended its attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin.

(CGTN)