Nigeria arrests Boko Haram bomb makers

LAGOS, Nigeria

The Nigerian military says it has arrested seven Boko Haram bomb-makers following what an army spokesman called "painstaking surveillance".

Sani Usman, in a statement on Sunday, said the arrests had been made in northwestern Kaduna state, but did not specify when.

"From all indications, the suspects were in Kaduna to conduct suicide bombings, kill and maim innocent citizens in the state and other surrounding areas during the festive period," Usman said.

Usman claimed the arrests would assist in Nigeria's fight against terrorism, as militants have resorted to launching bomb attacks on soft targets following what the military calls a "technical" defeat of the insurgents.

Nigeria has claimed "technical victory" over Boko Haram militants ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline from President Muhammadu Buhari to crush the insurgents.

However, the administration added that isolated attacks and suicide bombings by the militants cannot immediately be ruled out.

The effect of the arrests on the militant group cannot be verified independently because of its secretive nature.

There are claims by analysts that while the army has largely crippled Boko Haram's capabilities to launch physical attacks, the group still operates deadly sleeper cells in many parts of the country.

Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions from across the northeast region where it has been most active.