Nigeria forces kill over 300 militants

Nigeria's military yesterday claimed that more than 300 Boko Haram fighters were killed when troops recaptured the garrison town of Monguno in northeast Borno state.
"Over 300 terrorists were killed while a few were also captured," defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in an emailed statement.
There was no independent verification of the claims, which follow similar assertions about Boko Haram casualties by Niger, Chad and Cameroon involved in the regional fight-back against the militants.
Civilian vigilantes in the town spoken to by AFP confirmed that the town had been retaken but said only that there were heavy casualties, without specifying numbers.
Nigeria's military on Monday said it had regained control of Monguno, after the militants captured the town on January 25, sparking fears about an assault on the Borno state capital.
Monguno lies about about 125 kilometres north of Maiduguri, which has long been seen as a key prize for the militants in their quest to establish a hardline Islamic state.
Olukolade claimed that the "massive" casualties came after a two-day operation to liberate Monguno and 10 other communities, which destroyed a cache of equipment, arms and ammunition.

Two Nigerian soldiers were killed and 10 others injured in the operation, he said.
"The cordon and search operations is continuing along with aggressive patrols by troops who are now dominating the cleared communities," the statement said.