Nigerian security forces have killed a senior commander of Boko Haram Takfiri militants during a gun battle in the country's northeast, the army spokesman said.

The shootout occurred on the outskirts of the town of Alagarno in Borno State on Tuesday when Boko Haram commander Abu Mojahid was killed, army spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said on Wednesday.

He said a number of terrorists were killed as the security forces clashed with the Takfiris, adding that the army had seized rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns from the militants.
The army continued its operation to root out Boko Haram militants in Borno State, including the terrorists' main hub in Sambisa forest, said Olukolade.

Since 2009, the three northeastern Nigerian states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, have been the epicenter of Boko Haram violence.

The Nigerian security forces have, with the military support of some regional countries, regained control of the towns seized by the militants in northeastern regions.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria, which have left over 14,000 people dead and 1.5 million displaced over the past few years.