The Nigerian military confirmed yesterday that one of its fighter jets has gone missing over Adamawa state, where Boko Haram militants are known to be fighting, Reuters reports.
A statement released by the Nigerian armed forces said that contact had been lost with the plane, which was on a "routine operational mission", on Friday.
The fate of the plane or its two-person crew is not yet known.
This latest incident follows the news that at least 100 Boko Haram militants were killed by the Nigerian Army outside Maiduguri, the capital of neighbouring Borno state, also on Friday.
The city was apparently "surrounded" by the insurgent fighters, who are attempting to cleanse Nigeria of Christians, eradicate democracy and replace it with an Islamic state guided by Sharia law.
However, Nigerian troops managed to defend the city "after three hours of fierce fighting," according to an army spokesperson.
A top Boko Haram commander, known only as Amir, is thought to be among those who died.
The insurgent group has recently claimed to have begun an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria
Leader Abubakar Shekau – who has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council – declared in a video: "Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate."
Gwoza, Borno state, was taken over by militants on August 6.
It is difficult to assess how much territory Boko Haram now holds, as militants often besiege towns before moving on, but the group has now begun capturing and holding on to some cities.
Boko Haram, which loosely translates to "Western education is forbidden", is thought to be responsible for the deaths of at least 13,000 people since it became active in 2009.
