UNICEF: Boko Haram has kidnapped more than 1000 children in Nigeria

By Stephanie Busari, CNN

Updated 1704 GMT (0104 HKT) April 13, 2018

Under Operation "Lafiya Dole" -- meaning "peace by any means" in Hausa -- the Nigerian army is working under intense scrutiny to locate and return the stolen Chibok girls to their parents.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Under Operation "Lafiya Dole" -- meaning "peace by any means" in Hausa -- the Nigerian army is working under intense scrutiny to locate and return the stolen Chibok girls to their parents.
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Boko Haram's violent footprint is evident across the vast expanse of Nigeria's northeast, where village after village has been left devastated by the group's fighters.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Boko Haram's violent footprint is evident across the vast expanse of Nigeria's northeast, where village after village has been left devastated by the group's fighters.
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What Boko Haram couldn't loot, it burned to the ground. To this day, people remain afraid to return home.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
What Boko Haram couldn't loot, it burned to the ground. To this day, people remain afraid to return home.
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Frequent attacks from Islamic insurgents have prompted residents to flee their villages and head to Maidugiri where it is, to an extent, safer.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Frequent attacks from Islamic insurgents have prompted residents to flee their villages and head to Maidugiri where it is, to an extent, safer.
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The city of Maidugiri is at the heart of the military's campaign. Something of a safe haven for many fleeing Boko Haram, it has become an oasis in northeastern Nigeria, where around 2.5 million displaced people now reside.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The city of Maidugiri is at the heart of the military's campaign. Something of a safe haven for many fleeing Boko Haram, it has become an oasis in northeastern Nigeria, where around 2.5 million displaced people now reside.
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The region's soft sand is ideal for hiding improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. This means the military must travel in heavily armored convoys with mine-proof trucks providing protection from the front.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The region's soft sand is ideal for hiding improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. This means the military must travel in heavily armored convoys with mine-proof trucks providing protection from the front.
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Empty ammunition cases litter the ground, untouched since they flew from the machine guns used in a skirmish between the Nigerian army and Boko Haram fighters.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Empty ammunition cases litter the ground, untouched since they flew from the machine guns used in a skirmish between the Nigerian army and Boko Haram fighters.
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The operation's "theater commander" Maj. Gen. Leo Irabor tells CNN that while he is proud of his men's achievements in pushing back Boko Haram, they are in need of more international support to quash the insurgents.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The operation's "theater commander" Maj. Gen. Leo Irabor tells CNN that while he is proud of his men's achievements in pushing back Boko Haram, they are in need of more international support to quash the insurgents.
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A vehicle full of troops scans the horizon scouting for any indication of insurgent presence.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
A vehicle full of troops scans the horizon scouting for any indication of insurgent presence.
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The terrain in the northeast is unforgiving and troops face dehydration in the blistering heat while on patrol.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The terrain in the northeast is unforgiving and troops face dehydration in the blistering heat while on patrol.
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Nigerian army machine gun Mafa Nigeria mafa burned out villageVillage northeast nigeria boko haram attackNigeria abandoned village boko haramNigerian army search chibok girlsSambisa forest military convoy nigeriadiscarded ammunition nigerian armyNima Elbagir Commander Irabornigerian army convoy troopsNigerian army soldier

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)Terror group Boko Haram has kidnapped more than 1,000 children in Nigeria since 2013, UNICEF said Friday.

The statement came as Nigeria prepares to make the four-year anniversary of the Chibok abductions on April 14, 2014.
"Since 2013, more than 1000 children have been abducted by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, including 276 girls taken from their secondary school in the town of Chibok in 2014," the statement said.
    The Chibok abduction sparked global outrage and reignited the fight against the ISIS-aligned terrorist group.