Nigerian troops kill 73 Boko Haram militants in two weeks

Abuja [Nigeria], July 1 (ANI/Xinhua): Nigerian troops have killed 73 Boko Haram militants in operations conducted in past two weeks in the restive northeast region, a military spokesperson said on Thursday.
Bernard Onyeuko, a spokesperson for the Defense Headquarters, told reporters in a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday that troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed 73 Boko Haram militants in various operations between June 18 and June 30 in Borno state, without giving further details.
Onyeuko said the troops have destroyed some terrorists' strongholds at the Lake Chad axis of Borno through multiple airstrikes during the operations.
"During the air operations, the spiritual base and training camps of the terrorists in the northeast part of Borno state and the fringes of Lake Chad were destroyed by air bombardments," Onyeuko said.
The troops also received on Sunday 55 escapees from terrorists' camps in Borno, said Onyeuko.
According to Onyeuko, troops uncovered a large cache of weaponry and equipment from the militants after the operations.
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. (ANI/Xinhua)