At least 41 Boko Haram fighters were killed after village vigilante groups ambushed two trucks in Nigeria, media reported Wednesday.
The terrorists were suspected of planning a fresh attack, a security official said.
Locals in Nigeria's northern states have been forming vigilante groups in various areas to resist the armed group which has held more than 270 schoolgirls captive since last month, Al Jazeera reported.
In Kalabalge, a village about 250 km from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, residents said they were taking matters into their own hands because the Nigerian military seemed not doing enough to stem Boko Haram attacks.
On Tuesday morning, after learning about an impending attack by fighters, locals ambushed two trucks with gunmen, the report said.