Nigerian troops say they have rescued 178 people, mostly children, from their captivity by Islamic militants Boko Haram.

A militant leader was also caught, according to local reports. Some of those released had been held for over a year, and 101 were children, the military said in a statement seen by Associated Press. 

This adds to the 71 people said to have been rescued last week. The Nigerian military has been attacking Boko Haram strongholds in the Northern regions of Nigeria and claims to have made inroads into the militants' territory, though videos from the group deny this.

The 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram last year, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, were not mentioned by the army. Hundreds more have been snatched since. The Nigerian military has also claimed to have rescued a number of groups of people at various points throughout this year.

According to a recent report by Mausi Segun, the Nigeria researcher for Human Rights Watch, the captured women and children can expect to be raped, beaten, and married off to militants. However the Nigerian military has also been accused of human rights violations, and of being slow to respond to the situation.

Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, since it began to overcome and control territory in Borno State in Nigeria last year.