This file photo shows police officers walking past the Chibok school where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram Islamists. (AFP)
The Nigerian army has driven out Boko Haram insurgents from Chibok, the home of over 200 schoolgirls who were abducted by militants of the Islamist group in April, an army spokesman said.
The insurgents, who have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks in Nigeria's northeast, attacked the town on Thursday, killing several people and torching homes, villagers who fled told Reuters on Friday.
"Terrorists who attacked Chibok town early yesterday have been effectively flushed out. Subsequent mopping up is still ongoing," General Chris Olukolade and the Nigerian defence headquarters said on their respective twitter feeds.
Boko Haram, which is trying to establish an Islamic state in religiously mixed northern Nigeria, has carried out several attacks including suicide bombings and seizing several towns since it rejected a ceasefire announced last month by the government.
© Thomson Reuters 2014