“Terrorists … of unknown strength attempted coordinated simultaneous attacks on Bama, Gwoza and Pulka” Captain Aliyu Danja, acting Borno state deputy army spokesman said in a Reuters report, which announced the Nigerian military’s successful battle with Boko Haram rebels.

Forty Islamist militants were said to be killed while several more — who managed to slip through the military’s grip — were wounded. Ultimately, all of the attempted attacks by Boko Haram were repelled, according to Reuters.

In addition to the terrorist group targeting innocent civilians, the report noted that the number of Boko Haram attacks have increased over the last two months. In the recent Nigerian military response, the 40 Islamists were killed within three different regions as the scale of the attacks, Reuters noted, has also expanded.

Two weeks ago, Boko Haram carried out what government officials called a senseless massacre at the College of Agriculture, Gujba, where an estimated 40-50 students were killed as they slept in a dormitory hall.

“The attackers went berserk,” student Salamanu Ibrahim, said in a Yahoo! News report.

“They were fully armed with sophisticated rifles, and improvised explosives,” Ibrahim said describing the scenario which included dozens of Boko Haram members.

Reuters also reported that prior to the Nigerian military’s recent engagement with the group, troops discovered and later destroyed a truck totting bombs.

Since the group’s founding in 2001, up until 2009, protests and missions carried out — aiming to transform Nigeria into an Islamist-led state — were done in a peaceful manner. Upon gaining knowledge that the group was in possession of weapons, the Nigerian government investigated further activity, prompting violent attacks.

Earlier this week, Amnesty International disclosed that upwards of 950 Islamists being held in Nigerian jails have died due to starvation and a lack of medical attention.