Boko Haram terrorists injured three Nigerian soldiers on Saturday during confrontations described as stiff, the army said in a statement on Sunday, an indication that the militants are far from being “technically defeated” as severally claimed by the Nigerian government.

In neighbouring Cameroon, the Army battled about 40 Boko Haram terrorists in Kerawa, the country’s far north, on Sunday morning. A civilian was killed, gunned down by the terrorists before they retreated.

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in Cameroon and Nigeria in recent months, killing hundreds of people, burning women and children alive and sending many away from their homes.

In all, over 25, 000 people have been killed in Nigeria in seven years and more 1300 have been murdered in Cameroon since 2013, including at least 70 soldiers. More than 2.5 million people have also been displaced, including 500, 000 children now out of school. There are more than 60, 000 Nigerian refugees at the Minawao camp in Cameroon and thousands more in Chad and Niger.

In the latest confrontations in Nigeria, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the Acting Director Army Public Relations for the Nigerian Army said soldiers of 121 Task Force Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade, carried out a clearance operations at Dure district but they met stiff resistance from the terrorists who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March last year and have since modelled their barbarism after the Middle East killers.

“During the encounter, troops met stiff resistance from the terrorists. They however overcome and cleared Dure 1, Dure 2 and Jango, Dibiye and other suspected Boko Haram terrorists hideouts within the general area of the district.

“Three soldiers however sustained injuries as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). They were immediately evacuated for medical  treatment and are in stable condition,” Colonel Usman said.

He said during the operation, troops killed several terrorists and recovered two hand held Motorola radios one of which was booby-trapped,  materials for Improvised Explosive making Devices and destroyed several  grains storage facilities.

“Simultaneously,  another combined team of units under 26 Task Force Brigade based in Gwoza same day cleared Amdaga Makaranta and Amdaga Madachi of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists. During the encounter  2 Boko  Haram terrorists fighters were killed,” he added.

According to General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier  General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu, prior to the clearance operation, Dure 1 and 2 were Boko Haram strongholds in the mainland  of  Sambisa forest.

“The operation further revealed  the new and desperate strategy of Boko Haram terrorists; hiding their logistics especially grains for the rainy season in dugouts and the use of hand held radios primed with Improvised Explosive Devices as booby-traps,” the army said.