( CNN ) Nigerian forces fought off Boko Haram militants in the northeastern city of Maiduguri , military officials said Monday , but the extremists seized another town in the same state . Hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen launched a predawn attack Sunday on Maiduguri , the capital of Borno state . Soldiers repelled the attacks , and officials have since eased a curfew imposed as a result , said Col. Sani Usman , a military spokesman . But a simultaneous attack on nearby Monguno town was a different story . The Islamist militants captured the town , together with its military barracks , a Nigerian military officer said . It 's unclear how many people were wounded or killed during the battle for the two cities . `` Our soldiers initially repelled the terrorists but they mobilized more fighters and came back in full force . They overwhelmed our troops and forced them to retreat , '' the military officer said . He asked not to be named because he 's not authorized to speak to the media . Monguno is about 135 kilometers ( 85 miles ) from Maiduguri . The former has a population of 100,000 while Maiduguri has about 600,000 . Both cities are near the Chad and Cameroon borders , which would give the militants an entry point into those countries . Monguno and its military post served as a buffer to keep the militants away from Maiduguri . Its fall leaves Maiduguri vulnerable and puts the extremists in a better position to seize the city . Boko Haram had been confined to the fishing town of Baga since its fighters seized it on January 3 . Thousands were feared killed in that attack , which lasted days . Borno Gov . Kashim Shettima said soldiers will continue their crackdown on the militants . `` So long as we have the resources , we will continue to regard the efforts to reclaim peace our No . 1 area of commitments , '' he said. `` I want to reassure the good people of Borno State that we will never abdicate from our responsibility as those they entrusted with leadership . '' The attack came a day after President Goodluck Jonathan made a campaign stop in Maiduguri ahead of the February 14 presidential election . U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was also in the nation Sunday to call for peaceful elections . Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009 , attacking police , schools , churches and civilians , and bombing government buildings . The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria , which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south .
They coordinated the attacks in Lagos , the capital of the state . A simultaneous attack on nearby Monguno was a different story .