The Nigerian army has freed 178 people being held hostage by Boko Haram, including more than 100 children, it announced late on Sunday following a series of deadly attacks by the jihadists in the country's northeast.

The rescue, which the army said also led to the capture of a Boko Haram commander, took place near Aulari, about 70 kilometers south of Maiduguri, the biggest town in northeast Nigeria, military spokesman Colonel Tukur Gusau said in a statement. He did not specify when the operation was conducted.

"During the offensive operations, 178 people held captives by the terrorists were rescued. They include 101 children, 67 women and 10 men," Gusau said.