ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria’s military said on Monday it killed 35 members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram in a fierce all-night gunbattle overnight in Damaturu, capital of the northeastern Yobe state.
Boko Haram, which wants to carve out an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for more than 1,000 deaths since an uprising began in 2010. The United States has designated three of Boko Haram’s senior members as terrorists.
“The operation which lasted throughout Sunday night and continued into the early hours of Monday recorded fierce exchange of fire between Joint Task Force (JTF) troops and the terrorists,” said a statement from JTF spokesman Eli Lazarus.
“Thirty-five terrorists were killed in the fight while several others were arrested,” said Lazarus.
(Reporting by Isaac Abrak; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Ralph Gowling)
