Civilian self defence fighters say a sack of home-made bombs found at an abandoned Boko Haram camp exploded, killing 63 people in a town in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state.

Witness Haruna Bukar said the civilians were patrolling when they came across the bag of metallic objects and carried them to the town of Monguno, where they exploded on Tuesday.

Bukar said many curious people had gathered to inspect the objects when they detonated.

Nigeria’s rebels routinely use improvised explosive devices in their attacks.

Boko Haram had taken control of a large swathe of northeast Nigeria until a multinational force this year forced them out of towns and villages. Nigeria’s military says the group is now confined to the Sambisa Forest.

Bombings and hit-and-run attacks continue, however.

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen last week killed 37 people in raids on five villages around Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, a military source and a local village defence group said.

Fighters from the armed group, who arrived in four-wheel drive vehicles and on motorcycles, fired into houses and shot fleeing locals during Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday, the military source said on Friday. Al Jazeera