Nigerian army claims to have repelled Boko Haram attack

The Nigerian Army tweeted on Wednesday that it had repelled an attempt by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram to take over the town of Biu in north-eastern Borno state.

The army said it had captured five terrorists, but did not give a casualty rate.

"There was a serious battle around the barracks and we heard gunshots, which died down after a long while," local resident Ibrahim Biu told dpa.

"We later heard the soldiers had successfully driven them back ... even though no one can risk coming out," he added.

The army has sometimes been accused of retreating in the face of Boko Haram attacks.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini meanwhile called for more EU involvement in the fight against Boko Haram, which is "becoming daily more extreme and more threatening to the region."

She said the EU "will probably need to be even more committed" in supporting Nigeria and neighbouring countries against the group.

Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamist state, killed thousands of people in northern Nigeria last year alone.