Nigeria Army Says Killed Seven Suspected Islamists in Northeast

Nigeria's army said Tuesday it had shot dead seven suspected Boko Haram fighters during a raid in a northeastern area where the Islamist rebels have killed dozens in the last week.

The Bama area in Borno state, where the latest fighting occurred, has become a flashpoint in Boko Haram's four-year insurgency.

"In simultaneous operations conducted...(in) the area of Bama on Monday, the military recorded huge successes as seven suspected Boko Haram militants were killed and several others injured," said Borno state army spokesman Mohammed Dole.

Vehicles, explosives and weapons were also recovered during the raid on rebel camps around Bama, he added.

On Thursday, some 70 suspected Islamist fighters stormed Bama town, killing 27 people and razing some 300 homes, according to a local official.

A passenger bus traveling on the road connecting Bama to Borno's capital Maiduguri was attacked on Saturday, leaving 13 passengers dead.

Hundreds, largely defenseless civilians, have been killed by Boko Haram fighters in the northeast in recent weeks, as the military has waged a campaign aimed at crushing the Islamist uprising.