The army has engaged some members Boko Haram sect appears to have also taken to cattle rustling, in order to survive, recovering deadly weapons from them.

The army engaged the suspects over the weekend in Borno and Yobe states, killing four of them and recovering assorted arms and ammunition.

The army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sani Usman said the troops of the 8 division mobile strike team intercepted the suspects at Lingir village of Borno state.

The soldiers engaged the insurgents while they were driving the stolen cows into Maiduguri cattle market, and in the resultant shootout, three of the suspected terrorists were killed.

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Five AK-47 rifles, five magazines and 11 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered from the terrorists, while one soldier was injured.

Also on Saturday, troops of the 120 battalion supported by local vigilantes intercepted a group of suspected Boko Haram cattle rustlers at Kirbiri village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe state, following a tip off.

Brigadier General Usman in a statement said one of the terrorists was killed, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds. The troops recovered an AK-47 rifle and 2 empty rifle magazines.

Usman said that remnants of the insurgents have resorted to snatching of herds from poor pastoralists and selling them.