Nigerian military sources said the government had obtained the release of more than 200 captive school girls from the rebel Boko Haram group along with a ceasefire agreement.

While Boko Haram hasn't confirmed the agreement, Alex Badeh, Nigerian chief of defense, said he was cautiously optimistic the truce would hold and the girls returned to their families. The Bring Back Our Girls campaign issued a tweet saying, "We are monitoring the news with huge expectations."

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Islamic Boko Haram rebels have been fighting Nigerian and other West Africa regional governments since 2008. This year alone, more than 2,000 civilians have been said to be slain by the group. The group kidnapped more than 200 school girls in the Northeastern Nigerian city of Chibok six months ago.

Nigeria's government has come under fire from the public for its inability to bring home the kidnapped teenage girls who were said to be assigned to Boko Haram fighters as wives.

Badeh, the Nigerian military chief of staff, said the truce and repatriation came after three days of talks between Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon, which has also been affected by Boko Haram operations. Nigerian representatives met twice with Boko Haram representatives on the sidelines of those talks, according to Hassan Tukur, an aide to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigerian military forces would abide by the truce, Badeh said. Boko Haram has yet to comment on the agreement but said Thursday it would abide by an unilateral ceasefire, noting the Nigerian military had agreed to do the same.

Tukur said he was "cautiously optimistic," the truce and release would hold, telling the BBC that Boko Haram "assured us they have the girls and they will release them."

Release details would be finalized following a meeting soon at N'djamena, Chad's capital, Tukur said.

Mike Omeri, a Nigerian government spokesman, said no territory would be exchanged as part of the agreement, but wouldn't disclose what concessions the government made. He said Nigeria was closer to obtain the release of all captives, in addition to the girls.

TagsBoko Haram, Nigeria, Kidnapped Nigerian Girls, ceasefire, girls, Nigerian, kidnapped, release