Niger military kills 15 Boko Haram militants, captures 20

NIAMEY, Niger, June 25 (UPI) -- Niger's military announced Wednesday that 15 Boko Haram militants were killed and 20 were captured in recent land and air operations.

An armored vehicle and 26 motorcycles owned by Boko Haram were also destroyed in the attack, according to Niger's defense ministry. Niger formed a coalition with Benin, Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon to fight Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March.

The location of Niger's military operation was not released.

The U.S. Department of State recently said the number of terrorist attacks and people killed by terrorists worldwide spiked by 81 percent in 2014, largely due to attacks by Islamic State and Boko Haram militants.

About 800,000 children have been forced to flee their homes due to violence generated by Boko Haram's violent insurgency in Nigeria, according to the United Nations.

Boko Haram was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in 2013. The militant Islamic group seeks to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria and has ruthlessly targeted civilians.

At least 40 people died in north-eastern Nigeria on Monday and Tuesday due to a Boko Haram attack on two villages.