Nigeria army says Boko Haram driven out of seized village

The Nigerian army says it has driven out Boko Haram insurgents from Chibok, the home of over 200 schoolgirls who were abducted by militants of the Islamist group in April.

The insurgents, who have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks in Nigeria’s northeast, attacked the town on Thursday, killing several people and torching homes, villagers who fled the town said.

"Terrorists who attacked Chibok town early yesterday have been effectively flushed out. Subsequent mopping up is still ongoing," General Chris Olukolade and the Nigerian defence headquarters said on their respective Twitter feeds.

Boko Haram, which is trying to establish an Islamic state in religiously mixed northern Nigeria, has carried out several attacks including suicide bombings and seizing several towns since it rejected a ceasefire announced last month by the government.

Chibok and surrounding areas of Borno state have also been regularly targeted by the militants since the April abductions, which sparked an international outcry.

Dozens of the kidnapped girls escaped in the first couple of days after their capture from a boarding school outside the town, but 219 remain missing.

Boko Haram has taken control of several towns since the military announced a ceasefire on October 17th.

Reuters