Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists have ambushed a convoy carrying the Nigerian military chief, sparking a gun battle in which at least one soldier and 10 militants were killed, PressTV reported.
Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said in a statement on Sunday that the convoy of Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai came under attack in Faljari village, 45 kilometers east of Borno State capital Maiduguri.
The violent clashes started after Boko Haram militants opened fire on the military convoy in the troubled region.
"The terrorists encountered an overwhelming firepower from the troops in which 10 of them were killed. The troops captured five terrorists," said Usman, adding, "During the encounter, sadly, we lost a soldier, while an officer and four soldiers sustained gunshot wounds."
Ban due in Nigeria
This comes as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is expected to arrive in Nigeria later Sunday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of a deadly attack on the global body by Boko Haram terrorist group in the capital Abuja.
Also on August 13, up to 150 people were shot dead or drowned in a river in northeastern Nigeria while fleeing violence by the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists in the violence-hit Yobe State.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power in late May, replaced the heads of the army, navy, air force and his chief of defense staff in an effort to re-energize the fight against Boko Haram.
The terrorist group has since stepped up its attacks.
According to an AFP tally, bombings, a wave of raids and attacks have left at least 1,000 people dead in Nigeria alone in less than three months.
The Boko Haram militancy began in 2009, when the terrorist group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. Amnesty International says 17,000 people have been killed since then.
The violence has spilled over into Nigeria's neighboring countries. Soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been battling the terrorists in recent months.
Nigeria's neighbors, which have all suffered attacks by Boko Haram, set up a regional force earlier this year to end the conflict.