Nigerian troops killed at least 20 militants on Saturday after foiling an ambush laid by the insurgents along the Maiduguri-Damboa road, locals have confirmed.

“I can confirm to you that at least 20 insurgents were killed yesterday when they laid ambush for the troops who were travelling to Damboa with some of our members,” Jubrin Gunda, spokesman for the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a vigilante group known for its counter-terrorism efforts, told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

“One of our members also died in the encounter,” he said.

The CJTF was officially unveiled early last year as a self-motivated group of young men determined to end Boko Haram’s reign of terror.

They have since been credited with chasing militants from many areas of Borno, especially the provincial capital Maiduguri.

The group currently enjoys representation in many parts of Borno State.

Attacks have been occurring across Nigeria’s restive north, especially in Borno and Adamawa states, in recent days despite claims of a cease-fire announced by the government earlier this month.

Last week alone, insurgents have killed scores of civilians and abducted more than 100 women and girls from the region in separate raids.

The attacks and the kidnappings have cast doubt on the purported cease-fire, which reportedly stipulated the safe return of over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram over six months ago.

Nigeria has battled Boko Haram for the past five years, with thousands killed and millions displaced by the violence, which has been limited largely to the country’s volatile northeastern region.

•Photo shows Nigerian troops battling Boko Haram in the country’s North-East.