Nigerians deal heavy losses to Boko Haram

YOLA, Nigeria -- Nigerian troops killed scores of Islamic extremists and rescued 20 women and children from captivity even as reports came in Saturday of Boko Haram fighters slitting villagers' throats and chopping them to death.

That bolsters reports the insurgents are running out of ammunition and resorting to hit-and-run assaults in the face of a Nigerian offensive against their last stronghold, a northeastern forest.

"Despite continuous encounters with large numbers of land mines which still litter the Sambisa Forest, troops have forged ahead with the ongoing offensive operations as scores of the terrorists died in the assault on their bases on Friday," Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement Saturday night.

Four Boko Haram camps were destroyed in the assault in which one government soldier was killed and 10 wounded by land mines, he said. Many insurgent weapons, including armored cars, were destroyed.

The forest offensive has freed some 700 girls, women and their young children held captive by the extremists.

Meanwhile, farmer Kwada Abawu said he saw at least 10 people killed by Boko Haram fighters before he fled his northeastern village of Kwamda-Kobla on Friday.

No shots were fired, according to Abawu and local government chairman Maina Ularamu.

Ularamu said civilian self-defense fighters were pursuing the attackers.

A Section on 05/24/2015

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