Nigeria's army says it has rescued 200 girls and 93 women during a military operation against Boko Haram militants.
The offensive took place in the Sambisa Forest, in the northeast of the country, and destroyed three militant camps there, the army said on its Twitter account.
FLASH: Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls & 93 women from #Sambisa Forest. We cannot confirm if the #ChibokGirls are in this group /1
— DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA (@DefenceInfoNG) April 28, 2015
Troops captured and destroyed 3 terrorists camps including the notorious Tokumbere camp in the #Sambisa Forest Operation /2
— DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA (@DefenceInfoNG) April 28, 2015
#Sambisa Forest: The freed persons are now being screened and profiled. We will bring you details later. /3 #NeverAgain
— DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA (@DefenceInfoNG) April 28, 2015
"We cannot confirm if the Chibok girls are in this group," it said.
Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls near the northern village of Chibok in April 2014, sparking an international outcry.
It is thought the Islamist extremists took the youngsters into the heavily-mined Sambisa Forest.
Earlier, Nigeria's military spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said Boko Haram fighters have been pushed out of all areas of northeast Nigeria, except for Sambisa.
The forest has been pounded by air raids for weeks and ground troops reportedly entered it last week.
Mr Olukolade denied reports troops retreated from Sambisa because of land mines.
Boko Haram's Islamic uprising is blamed for the deaths of as many as 10,000 people last year.
Some 1.5 million people have been forced from their homes by the group.
