Abuja - Nigeria's military says its offensive against
insurgents in the country's restive northeast has killed at least 14 suspected
Islamic extremists and three soldiers.
Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, a military spokesperson,
said in a statement that one soldier also was missing as "forces have been
engaging a large number of heavily armed terrorists" for the last two
days. He did not say exactly where the fighting occurred but that about 20
people were arrested.
There was no independent confirmation of the military's
claims.
Olukolade says the extremists are in "disarray"
and fleeing to Nigeria's borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
A decree by President Goodluck Jonathan put Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe states under emergency rule, allowing the military to arrest anyone
and occupy any building it suspects of housing extremists.
