MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Scores more women and children have been rescued from Islamic extremists in the remote Sambisa Forest, Nigeria's military said amid reports that some of the women fought their rescuers fiercely.
A community leader from the area of northeast Nigeria said Thursday a senior army officer who was at the scene described the women opening fire on shocked troops in the village of Nbita a week ago, with Boko Haram Islamic insurgents using the women to shield their main fighting force.
He said he was told 12 women fighters and seven soldiers died in a fierce firefight. The community leader spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue and personal security risks.
Some of the women and girls are pregnant, according to Muhammad Gavi, a spokesman for a self-defense group that fights Boko Haram who said some members have seen the females.
The Nigerian military first reported rescuing almost 300 women and children in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday after deploying ground troops into the forest more than a week ago. The army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, told the Associated Press on Thursday more than 100 additional girls and over 50 more women have also been rescued.
He said in a statement several lives were lost, including that of a soldier and a woman, during shootouts in nine separate extremist camps in the forest.
He said eight women sustained gunshot wounds and four soldiers were seriously injured. It was not clear who shot the women. All the women and children were being evacuated to a safety zone for further processing, Usman said.
It remains unclear if some of the women had willingly joined Boko Haram, or are family members of fighters.
Also killed were several Boko Haram field commanders and foot soldiers. Combat tanks and munitions of high caliber used by Boko Haram were also recovered while others were destroyed, the army spokesman said.