ABUJA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 35 Boko Haram militants were killed during multiple-day clearance operations by Nigerian troops in the countrys northeastern state of Borno, the military said on Sunday. In a statement made available to Xinhua, the military said that the clearance operations took place between May 11 and May 22 to deal deadly blows on the militants. At the beginning of the clearance operations on May 11, the army conducted a long-range fighting patrol in Adzunge, a location in Borno, and its adjoining villages. On May 13, the troops held a special operation when they ambushed the Boko Haram militants along Pulka-Boko-Kirawa road in the state, killing eight of them, the statement said. Ten motorcycles and various food items were also seized by the troops during the operation. Some militants were also ambushed on May 15 while relocating from their largest training camp in the Sambisa forest to Mandara Mountains within the same state following heavy air and artillery bombardments by the military. Five Boko Haram militants were eliminated in the operation. On the same day, two more militants were killed when they attempted to attack the troops location in Boboshe, a town in Borno. Five Boko Haram fighters were killed by the troops in Gajigana town of Borno between May 19 and May 20, the military said. Two other militants were killed in Pulka-Dirgi-Banki general area in a follow-up operation on May 20. Several others fled with gunshot wounds in the operation. On May 21, eight more Boko Haram militants were neutralized at Mugdala village, where three Boko Haram flags, two bicycles, cell phones, other phone accessories, arms and ammunition were also recovered. The military killed three Boko Haram militants the following day along Bama Aulari road in Borno. Nigerias army chief Tukur Buratai said the latest operations were aimed at eradicating the terrorists from the northeast region. Since 2009, Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, extending its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad Basin. The group has posed enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges in the Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger, according to the United Nations.
