26 arrested, 2 dead in raid after Indians killed in Nigeria

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AFP) - Nigerian soldiers have arrested 26 alleged members of Islamist group Boko Haram and killed two others in a raid after an attack that left two Indian nationals dead, a statement said Saturday.

Separately on Friday, a military patrol vehicle was attacked in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, with two alleged Boko Haram members killed and two soldiers wounded in a resulting clash, and 25 suspects arrested.

The raid following the deaths of the Indians occurred late Thursday and early Friday in Maiduguri, where Boko Haram has been based amid an insurgency that has killed hundreds in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

"The operation led to the arrest of 26 terrorists and the killings of two suspected members of Boko Haram," a statement from a military task force in the region said.

"Some of the suspects killed and arrested were responsible for the killings of two Indians, a cleric and several other killings in Maiduguri in the past."

On Wednesday, suspected Boko Haram members attacked a factory in Maiduguri, killing the two Indians and stealing about $600 (nearly 500 euros) in cash.

Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of attacks that have killed hundreds, mainly in the north. It has also carried out robberies to finance its operations.

Authorities also located and detonated a homemade bomb in Maiduguri on Friday, a statement said.