ABUJA, June 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 Boko Haram militants were killed in a gunfight with troops in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the army said on Thursday.

The gunfight between the troops and the militants took place on Wednesday in Damboa, a town of Borno, the spokesman for the army, Mohammed Yerima, said in a statement.

"The militants launched a futile attack on Damboa in multiple waves, with armored personnel carriers and 12 gun trucks, all mounted with anti-aircraft guns, as well as locally fabricated armored-plated vehicles loaded with explosives and motorcycles," Yerima said.

According to him, the troops in conjunction with the air force successfully repelled the attack, destroying the locally fabricated armored-plated vehicles.

Yerima said the surviving militants were forced to run in disarray under heavy gunfire from the resilient troops.

"The so-called suicide bombers had to abandon their vehicles primed with explosives, as they could not withstand the overwhelming fire-power from the highly motivated troops," he said, adding several weapons and ammunition were recovered from the depleted militants.

Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The terror group has also extended its attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. Enditem

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