Top Boko Haram commander killed by Nigerian troops

Lagos, April 23: Nigerian troops have killed a top commander of the Boko Haram militant group in the country's Borno state, a military spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, said in a statement reaching Xinhua that the commander Abu Mojahid and other terrorists had attacked troops on patrol on Tuesday morning.

He said a number of terrorists were killed as the troops repelled the attack, adding that some rocket-propelled grenades and vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft guns were seized or destroyed in the encounter.

Olukolade said the military operations were continuing in some forest locations, addng that aggressive patrols, mopping up and search operations were also underway in search of weapons and terrorists.

The military spokesperson stated that improvised explosive devices planted by the terrorists to deter the advancing troops were being cleared and the offensive was being conducted in defiance of obstacles and land mines planted by the militants.

The Boko Haram, whose name translated from the local dialect means "Western education is sin", has been a major security threat to Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country -- since 2009 and had also threatened Nigeria's neighbouring countries, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

The group seeks to impose the Islamic Sharia law in the Nigerian constitution.

Lat month, it had declared its allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

IANS