Nigeria's military stated on Tuesday it had killed 40 Islamist militants while repelling a coordinated attack in three parts of northeastern Borno state, in the heartland of their insurgency.
"Terrorists … of unknown strength attempted coordinated simultaneous attacks on Bama, Gwoza and Pulka" on Sunday night, stated Captain Aliyu Danja, acting deputy army spokesman in the town of Maiduguri in Borno state.
He stated the military had "successfully repelled all the attacks, killing 40 terrorists in the three locations while several others escaped with gunshot wounds".
Troops destroyed a pick-up truck loaded with bombs, Danja stated in a written statement.
In a separate incident, air strikes on a Boko Haram base in Kilani had "neutralized" some fighters there, he also stated.
The military often gives high casualty figures for militants and barely any for its own men. It is usually impossible to verify its claims independently.
It also invariably states that militants are killed in battle.
Rights groups say many killings of Islamist militant suspects occur in custody.