Nigeria forces say it has kill 16 Islamists in fire fight

MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Nigerian
forces shot dead 16
suspected militants in a fire
fight with Islamist sect Boko
Haram on Tuesday, the
military said.
A Reuters reporter heard
gunfire and explosions echoing
through the remote city of
Maiduguri, in Nigeria's dry,
dusty northeast.
Boko Haram, which wants to
create an Islamic state in
parts of Nigeria, has been
blamed for hundreds of bomb
and gun attacks on security
forces and civilians over the
past two years.
It has become the main
security threat in Nigeria,
Africa's top energy producer,
and has linked up with other
Islamist groups in the region
such as al Qaeda's north
African wing, although it is
based far from oil producing
facilities in the south.
"Some suspected Boko Haram
terrorists attempted to open
fire on (security) operatives
but could not succeed. We
have so far shot dead 16 of
the terrorists during a shoot
out," field operations officer
for northeastern Borno state,
Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, told
Reuters by telephone.
He said Nigerian forces had
seized weapons and
ammunition from the suspects
and destroyed some of their
home-made bombs in
controlled explosions.
"We were able to achieve this
feat based on information
from the public," he said.
"There were no casualties on
our side".
There was no immediate
comment from Boko Haram.
The sect claimed responsibility
for a suicide car bombing of a
church in northern Nigeria on
Sunday that killed at least 12
people, continuing a growing
pattern of attacks on
Christian worshippers.
Several attempts to end the
sect's insurgency militarily
have failed. Although officials
say they have been weakened
in recent months by the killing
and arrest of some senior
commanders, they remain
capable of lethal attacks.
Suspected Islamist militants
shot dead a retired police
deputy, his driver and two
aides in the north's main city
of Kano on Tuesday, police
there said.
Source: Reuters