Nigerian military says 15 Boko Haram fighters shot dead in Sambisa forest

Nigeria’s military says at least 15 gunmen believed to be Boko Haram Islamic extremists have been shot dead during a battle with soldiers.

Spokesman Kingsley Samuel says in a statement that the fighting occurred Thursday morning when the extremists attacked a base in the Sambisa forest in northern Nigeria.

The forest had been a Boko Haram stronghold until the government declared the group “crushed” late last year.

Boko Haram’s fighters continue to carry out suicide bombings and other attacks in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, including against troop locations.

The military spokesman says the extremists attacked Thursday with a large cache of weapons that soldiers seized.

Samuel says a number of the extremists were wounded in the fighting.