ABUJA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 57 extremist militants were killed in anti-terror operations by troops in Nigeria's northeast region in the past two weeks, a military spokesman said Thursday.

Musa Danmadami, the spokesperson for the Nigerian military, told reporters at a bi-weekly news briefing in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, that the operations were conducted through land and air raids on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram enclaves in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe from Aug. 11 to 25.

According to Danmadami, during the period, eight suspected militants and four suspected logistic suppliers working for the two militant groups were arrested, while four civilian hostage victims were rescued by troops.

Danmadami said a total of 1,652 extremist militants and their families, including 890 children, surrendered to troops at different locations in the northeastern region within the period.

On Saturday alone, troops acting on credible intelligence carried out airstrikes on enclaves of the militant groups in the Sambisa and Tumbuns forests in Borno, killing at least 25 extremist militants, he said.

The ISWAP has been collaborating with its sister group Boko Haram to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terror groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. Enditem

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