Nigerian soldiers rescued 71 people, almost all girls and women, in firefights that killed many Boko Haram militants in villages near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the military said Thursday. Some captives told The Associated Press they were in the clutches of the militants for as long as a year. The military has said hundreds of captives were freed in March when they declared they had seized back all towns held by Boko Haram. But attacks have increased in recent weeks, with hundreds killing in suicide bombings and village assaults.