Nigeria, July 9 -- Not less than 37 soldiers of the Nigeria Army Special Forces were killed on Tuesday after a deadly ambush by suspected Boko Haram members, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The attack took place along the Maiduguri-Damboa highway.

The Nigerian military had on Wednesday confirmed the attack but said only two soldiers died.

The coordinator of the defence military operations, John Enenche, said in a statement that the ambushed troops managed to "wriggle out of the assault to gun down 17 of the Boko Haram attackers".

Mr Enenche, a major general, said many of the Boko Haram/ISWAP attackers escaped with serious bullet injuries.

The military authorities in Abuja then directed the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole to "reinfor...