8 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush attack

At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed in an ambush on Friday by the Islamist militants, Boko Haram 50 km east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, sources said.

According to AFP news agency, a civilian vigilante involved in helping the military with security in the restive region confirmed the account but said as many as 10 soldiers may have been killed.

This attack comes as the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations said on Tuesday that the Islamist sect was in financial difficulties.

The army has mounted a sustained counter-attack against the group in its Borno state stronghold of the Sambisa forest. In December, commanders said the rebels had been flushed out.

Sporadic attacks since then have been attributed to desperate Boko Haram remnants on the run.