Nine Nigerian soldiers killed in Boko Haram rescue

Nine Nigerian soldiers have been killed during an attempt to free people kidnapped by suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, the military has said in a statement.

It added that it rescued a team of 10 researchers from the University of Maiduguri who were abducted in an ambush in north-east Nigeria.

They were in a convoy that was ambushed as it was returning to the city late on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier, the state-run oil firm said three of the team had been rescued.

But it is yet to comment on the military’s latest claim.

One eyewitness told the BBC that the army was downplaying the death toll.

He said several of the researchers had been killed and others were still missing.

Source: BBC