Mysterious ice pancakes on river

Biologist Jamie Urquhart found the strange ice pancakes near the River Dee in Scotland.

The theory is that the pancakes were formed when foam spinning in river eddies became frozen and was later softened in fluctuating temperatures.

It's the first time the ice pancakes have occurred on the Dee, but they're thought to be more common in Antarctica or the Baltic Sea.

The pancakes were found several miles downstream from Balmoral Castle, the British Queen's summer residence.

• Ice pancakes found by biologist near the River Dee in eastern Scotland


• The Trust believes the phenomenon is caused by foam freezing in river eddies


• Ice pancakes are said to be more common in he Antarctic or Baltic

London (CNN) -- Here's another Scottish mystery to file alongside the Loch Ness Monster and Mel Gibson's accent in "Braveheart."

Ice pancakes.

These strange frozen saucers were found during a recent cold snap near the River Dee -- a salmon-filled waterway that passes by the British Queen's summer residence, Balmoral Castle, before heading eastwards to the coastal city of Aberdeen.

River Dee Trust biologist Jamie Urquhart made the discovery and took the photos at Lummels Pool, Birse -- several miles downstream of Balmoral.

The trust said it was initially unsure what caused the pancakes, but supects they're caused by a rare phenomenon in which foam freezes in a swirling eddy.

MORE: 10 of Scotland's spectacular castles

Rare occurrence

"Perhaps each disc grew when smaller pieces of unfrozen foam struck the disc, adhered and then froze in place," it wrote on its website.

"The raised rims are undoubtedly due to the collisions but what about the inner lines?

"The air temperature was colder at night due to the clear-sky conditions but warmer in the day, meaning the discs may have grown at night, then during the day, when the discs softened in the sun, further collisions between the 'pancakes' caused the rims to be pushed up.

"The next night further growth would have occurred, followed by a new rim the next day."

The Trust said it's the first time the pancakes, more commonly found in the Antarctic or the Baltic Sea, have been seen on the River Dee.

15 cool gifts for travelers

Fill two of the flasks with gin, one with vermouth and you've got a to-go martini tucked in the Daines and Hathaway Collection Triple Bar Set's neat leather case.

Protective foam sewn into all four sides and the bottom of the stylish Jo Totes Georgia Nautical camera bag keeps equipment protected.

Doug Lansky's new "Travel: The Guide" punctures travel pretensions with lots of big pictures, surprising graphics and occasional deep insight.

The Beer and Beans Speakeasy Scarf has a secret pocket in the folds of the fabric. Great for passport storage.

Whether you're diving, skiing, surfing or strolling down the wrong street, travel memories can be captured in hi-def and shared within minutes with the GoPro Hero4 Silver.

With Gilchrist & Soames' London Traveller kit, passengers can step off the plane smelling of red tea, soy and grape seed. (It's pleasant, trust us.)

Fashionable travelers will love Burberry's new color-block wool and cashmere reversible blanket poncho. It's a stylish inflight snuggie as well as functional off-flight fashion statement.

Lomo'Instant is Lomography's first instant camera, delivering artsy photos without the long wait. Lomo'Instant Sanermo comes with fisheye, portrait and closeup lenses.

For anyone stuck on the side of a mountain with limited space in their pack and an insatiable craving for casserole, The Hornet should do the job.

For those who've been exposed to too much sun, chlorine, saltwater or airplane air, the La Mer Sculpting collection will turn things around.

The Handpresso is a small, portable manual espresso machine that uses ground coffee or E.S.E. espresso pods. The Outdoor Set Hybrid (pictured) is for caffeine delivery on the go.

The tiny Atom bike-powered generator fits to a rear wheel, where it converts revolutions into enough juice to amp up any USB-charged gizmo.

Any adventurous traveler will be psyched to dirty up the new All Out Blaze line of lightweight hiking shoes, designed to absorb impact while they "blaze new trails."

The pink-gold Travel Time watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre shows the time at home and at destination. The globe at the six o'clock position displays time zones and a day/night indicator.

The SuitPack features several devices -- including shoulder pads -- that are used to fold a suit and keep it wrinkle-free. It's light, sturdy, looks decent and can fit enough extras to accommodate all other clothing needs for a short one-bag-only business trip.

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• GoPro's new Hero4 Silver features a HiLight Tag to mark key moments for playback and editing


• Doug Lansky's new "Travel: The Guide" punctures travel pretensions and myths


• The bike-powered Siva Cycle Atom battery charger converts revolutions into gadget juice

(CNN) -- Jingle those bells, the holiday season is near.

Too near, for anyone who still hasn't managed to find something for that special traveler in their life.

Forget the usual cliched gifts like journals, luggage tags and Panama hats.

We've got a selection of cool gifts for every type of traveler.

Already purchased this year's batch of presents?

There's always a birthday to buy for in 2015.

Or something for yourself.

GoPro Hero4 Silver

The new Hero4 Silver is the first of the popular photography brand to offer a built-in touch display and HiLight Tag, which enables you to mark key moments for convenient playback and editing.

That means whether you're diving, skiing, surfing or strolling through a quaint town, all those travel memories can be captured in high-definition and shared within minutes thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

From $399.99, more info at GoPro

The Hornet is a tiny camping stove that folds down to the size of a tube of lipstick.

Hornet mini-stove

Admittedly there aren't many situations where kit needs to be streamlined so keenly that a camping stove that folds down to the size of a lipstick is desirable.

And, if anyone does find themselves huddled on the side of a mountain waiting for their tiny burner to warm up a vacuum pack of gelatinous gloop, it's maybe time to rethink their vacation plans.

That said, the tiny, lightweight (44 grams) Hornet is such a cool concept, it's worth slipping into the tiniest backpack just in case an emergency casserole is needed.

The Hornet FMS-300T Mini-Stove starts from about $44 and is available online at Fire-maple.com .

Gilchrist & Soames London Traveller kit

Some lucky travelers already get to enjoy Gilchrist and Soames' London collection in their hotel rooms.

The rest of us are grateful the toiletry collection is available online.

The Gilchrist & Soames London Traveller kit includes essentials like shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and lip balm, all in a felt travel tote.

Air passengers can deploy these to envelop themselves in a haze of red tea, soy and grape seed that will cunningly conceal the fact they've been in transit for 24 hours.

From $28, available online at Gilchrist & Soames .

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Unique Travel Time watch

We don't just love this watch for its shiny, pretty face.

The pink-gold Travel Time watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre shows a traveler's home time, set by turning the crown counterclockwise, and destination time zone, set by turning clockwise.

The globe at the six o'clock position displays time zones and a day/night indicator. And in case there's any doubt over whether it's EST or CST, major time zones are shown on the back of the watch.

From $39,000, more info online at Jaeger-LeCoultre

With a portable bar set you'll be the most popular kid on the beach.

Daines and Hathaway Triple Bar Set

For anyone stuck in the desert or facing an unexpected hotel bar drought, the convenience of the Daines and Hathaway is a selling point.

Fill two of the flasks with gin, one with vermouth to create a to-go martini wrapped up in a neat leather case.

Because camel trekking in the Sahara shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying a drink.

From $299, available for purchase at Pittards

"Travel: The Guide" by Doug Lansky

From "best of" guides to every Palookaville on the planet to navel-gazing meditations on the inner journey some find on the backpacker circuit, travel books come in all types.

But we've never seen one quite like Doug Lansky's new "Travel: The Guide," which punctures travel pretensions and myths with lots of big pictures, surprising graphics and humorous observations.

No wonder Peter Moore -- author of "Vroom with a View," one of our 15 funniest travel books ever -- blurbed it as "seriously brilliant!"

Published by Look Books ($4.99 ebook, $60 hardcover coffee table edition), available at Amazon.com

Beer and Beans Speakeasy Scarf

This is no ordinary flap of cloth.

Beer and Beans Speakeasy Scarf has a secret pocket in the folds of the fabric to hide travel documents.

Besides keeping them hugged close, the scarf makes it easy to whip out passports at the gate.

Because no one wants to be the fumbling passenger holding up the line.

From $52, available at Speakeasytravelsupply.com

Merrell All Out Blaze shoes

We've always loved putting on anything made by Michigan-based outdoor shoemaker Merrell.

Which is why we know adventurous travelers will be psyched to dirty up the new All Out Blaze line of lightweight hiking shoes designed to stabilize movement and absorb impact while you "blaze new trails."

Get it?

OK, it's a corny pitch line, but shoes like this are meant to be worn out not talked about.

Men's All Out Blaze ($130), women's All Out Blaze Aero Sport ($110). More info at Merrell.com

La Mer's Sculpting Collection

Nobody wants to lug their entire skincare collection on vacation, yet holidays are when our hides tend to take the worst beatings.

For those who've been exposed to too much sun, chlorine, salt water or dry airplane air, there's the La Mer Sculpting collection, which includes three signature power-treatments for skin: The Treatment Lotion, The Eye Concentrate, The Lifting Contour Serum and Creme de la Mer.

Those not familiar with the brand, owned by Estee Lauder, will become believers after one dose of the Creme de la Mer. Instant results.

$440, available at Cremedelamer.com

Bike-powered Siva Cycle Atom battery charger

Cycling and cell phones go together like Lance Armstrong and denial, so its a pity that GPS navigation and fitness apps aimed at riders suck down battery power so rapidly.

The solution has finally arrived in the form of the bike-powered Siva Cycle Atom battery charger.

Crowd-funded via Kickstarter and due out just after Christmas, the tiny device attaches to the rear wheel, where it converts revolutions into enough juice to amp up any USB-charged gizmo.

There's even a detachable battery so riders can carry away some power in their pocket after the cycling's done.

The Atom, $129, available at Sivacycle.com

Lomo'Instant: The Polaroid for hipsters.

Lomo'Instant

Instagrammed-up cell phones have cast a long shadow over the old school wait-and-see funky photography of Lomo cameras.

The new Lomo'Instant, Lomo's first instant camera, redresses this by shortening the wait for film to be developed without compromising the camera's artsy vibe.

Lomo'Instant Sanermo camera comes with three lenses -- fisheye, portrait and closeup.

Like other Lomo cameras, the instant edition allows settings like multiple exposure and color filters and has the largest aperture setting (f/8) among all available instant cameras on the market.

From $169, available online at Shop.lomography.com

Burberry's customized poncho

Sarah Jessica Parker has one. So does Cara Delevingne.

Which means couture-obsessed travelers would probably also love Burberry's new color-block wool and cashmere reversible blanket poncho.

The sizable poncho is a stylish inflight snuggie as well as a functional off-flight fashion item.

Initials can be added when ordering.

From $1,395, available at Burberry.com

The Handpresso: Banishing bad hotel coffee.

Handpresso Outdoor Hybrid set

Eight times out of 10, the complimentary coffee given in hotel rooms isn't going to cut it.

Then there's those middle-of-nowhere camping trips that see travelers willing to wrestle a crocodile if it'll get them a fresh cup of espresso to start the day.

This is where the Handpresso comes in -- a small, portable manual espresso machine that uses ground coffee or E.S.E. espresso pods.

The Outdoor Hybrid set comes with four unbreakable cups, an insulated flask to keep water hot and a small reusable napkin.

Available online from $220 at Handpresso.com

SuitPack

An unruffled suit is an elusive holy grail for business travelers.

There are various unproven mathematical formulas and old CEO tales for stuffing a suit in a bag and having it arrive at the other end in boardroom-imposing condition.

A new piece of luggage, cleverly called "SuitPack," has taken a proven (we've tried it several times) creative approach to the problem. Several devices, including shoulder pads, are used for folding the suit.

While packing a suit in the suitpack does take a bit of time and requires step-by-step instructions for the first few goes, the time saved at the other end by not having to press or steam it in the shower makes it worth the learning curve.

It's light, sturdy, looks decent and can fit enough extras to accommodate all other clothing needs for a short one-bag-only business trip. It can also get on the plane as carry-on.

At $149, there's a chance it could be sneaked onto the company expense account.

Free delivery is currently being offered to the U.S., UK, Australia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong and several other countries.

To order and for more details: suit-pack.com

Jo Totes Georgia Nautical camera bag

A camera that's getting knocked around and filthy isn't going to take great travel photos.

The Jo Totes Georgia Nautical camera keeps equipment safe -- it's stylish, too.

With blue and white stripes and a brown faux leather exterior, protective foam is sewn into all four sides and the bottom of the satchel.

It has adjustable interior pads and plenty of extra pockets, so it can be used as a stylish everyday bag or carryall weekender.

From $109, available online at Jo Totes

MORE: 12 of the best places to spend Christmas

A bad week for Chinese air rage

All's calm now, but there's been recent turbulence in the skies over China.

• Past two weeks have seen media coverage of four separate incidents of Chinese tourists misbehaving on planes


• A couple, after throwing a series of tantrums, threw hot water at a flight attendant


• Emergency exits were opened in two separate incidents for different reasons


• A mini-brawl was touched off by a crying baby and reclining seats

(CNN) -- Deja vu?

Yesterday's news?

Nope, it's just another series of air dramas involving disruptive Chinese air travelers.

It hasn't been the most peaceful fortnight in the aviation industry -- we've seen the aftermath of a Korean Air exec's "nut rage" and R&B singer Jeremih arrested for attempting to force open a closed airplane door after missing the last call for boarding.

In the midst of this unruly behavior have come no fewer than four inflight dramas involving Chinese tourists.

On the heels of a meltdown and two emergency exit incidents, a bizarre fight between multiple passengers broke out over a dispute involving a crying baby.

The poor kid probably just couldn't get any sleep with all the fuss going on.

READ: Korean Air executive resigns over nuts on a plate row

Hot water throw down

The fortnight of infamy was highlighted by the cup noodle row heard 'round the world -- or at least across Asia.

On December 11, four tourists threw a series of tantrums on an Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Nanjing.

The episode began during takeoff when, observing safety rules, cabin staff refused to serve hot water to a couple who wanted to immediately get going on their cup noodle.

The couple retaliated by crushing nuts on the floor.

The man, Wang, was allegedly still fuming when a flight attendant for the budget airline brought him a cup of hot water after the plane reached cruising altitude, then attempted to charge him 60 Thai baht ($2) for the water.

"You think I can't afford it?" Wang demanded, using the word "laozi," a pompous way of referring to one's self as a boss or superior.

A video captured Wang yelling at the attendant.

As the quarrel dragged on, the man's girlfriend, Zhang, threw hot water on the back of the flight attendant.

Thai authorities eventually ordered Zhang to pay 50,000 baht ($1,500) to the flight attendant.

Each passenger involved in the incident was fined amounts between $3 and $6.

Chinese government not amused

The China National Tourism Administration issued a stern statement after the Air Asia episode, saying it had "severely damaged the overall image of Chinese people" and demanding local authorities review the case.

Air rage is a common sight in delay-prone China.

In recent years, state media has reported numerous dramatic incidents involving irate passengers, ranging from blocking moving aircraft on an active runway to fistfights with airport employees.

During an official visit to the Maldives in September, President Xi Jinping personally asked Chinese tourists to behave themselves while traveling abroad.

Last year the government released a lengthy list of do's and don'ts aimed at turning Chinese travelers into "civilized tourists."

All the warnings and cajoling seem to have fallen on deaf ears, though.

MORE: Flight diverted after passenger reportedly throws hot water at crew member

Quickest way off a plane? Emergency exit!

Impatient or lacking fresh air or ... something ... Chinese passengers in separate incidents in the past two weeks decided to deal with their "stuck on a plane" dilemmas in unexpected fashion.

Upon landing in Sanya on December 8 after a China Eastern flight from Xi'an, a fidgety passenger not content to suffer through the excruciating disembarkation process -- Don't judge! We've all been there! -- went ahead and opened the emergency exit door, engaging the aircraft's inflatable slide.

Xinhua news agency said the reason for the man's action was unknown, but The Nanfang website from southern China reported that the passenger said he simply wanted to depart the plane sooner.

His solution, to borrow loosely from Jane Austen, did display a certain amount of sense, if not sensibility.

Regardless, the shortcut cost the airline $16,000 and a two-hour delay, according to Xinhua.

That unauthorized exit was followed by an incident on December 14 during which a first-time flier on a Xiamen Air flight reportedly felt the urge for some fresh air while waiting for his plane to take off.

His fix? Open the emergency door for better ventilation.

The man wasn't fined or punished because the act didn't cause any damage, stated the airline.

READ: Worst celeb in-flight meltdowns

Baby mama drama

Calm in the skies reigned for three entire days before being shattered on Thursday when a minor brawl broke out on an Air China flight from Chongqing to Hong Kong.

The imbroglio began when a pair of passengers complained about the crying baby seated behind them.

The child's mother, meanwhile, spared no words in expressing her own displeasure with the people in front reclining their seats into her space.

Unable to compromise, the quarrel escalated into a full-on fight.

A photo in which one woman appears ready to slap another woman -- who herself seems to be floating almost perpendicular to the floor of the aircraft, perhaps readying to deliver an unorthodox blow of her own -- quickly circulated online.

"A group brawl above 7,500 meters. Our plane was almost turned around," wrote a passenger who shared the incident and picture on Weibo, China's Twitter.

The plane wasn't diverted, though Hong Kong police were called in to keep everyone calm and carrying on once the plane landed.

Meanwhile, no air rage incidents have been reported for 24 hours ... and counting ...

Slenderman suspects ruled competent

• Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier are being charged as adults with attempted murder


• They are accused of stabbing another girl more than a dozen times in May


• A preliminary hearing is set for February 18

(CNN) -- Two girls accused of stabbing a friend to impress the fictional Internet bogeyman Slenderman have been found competent to stand trial.

The decision came out of a Wisconsin courtroom Thursday, Waukesha County Circuit Court reporter Kathy Fus told CNN.

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier have been charged with attempted murder after authorities say they stabbed their classmate 19 times in May. All three were 12 at the time.

The suspects allegedly left the victim to crawl to her own rescue. She was taken to a hospital after a passing bicyclist found her.

Bicyclist who found victim: 'Who did that to you?'

According to a criminal complaint, the suspects were arrested hours after the victim was discovered.

The girls were allegedly trying to please Slenderman, a horror story meme the girls had encountered on a website known as Creepypasta Wiki.

One of the suspects is said to have told police that Slenderman is the site's supposed leader, and to climb into his realm, a user must kill someone.

Geyser and Weier are being charged as adults. A preliminary hearing is set for February 18.

Who is Slenderman?

CNN's Jason Hanna and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

Ebola nurse's aide: Why kill my dog?

• Teresa Romero Ramos is suing Madrid regional authorities for putting down her dog


• She is also suing the ex-regional health minister, who she says blamed her for falling ill


• "It's clear they were not ready to look after a possible case of Ebola," she says of hospital


• Romero wants to see revised protocols for health workers caring for Ebola patients

(CNN) -- It's a long road to recovery for Spanish nurse's assistant Teresa Romero Ramos.

Discharged from hospital six weeks ago after beating Ebola, she faces life without her beloved dog, Excalibur, put down by Spanish authorities for fear he might harbor the deadly virus.

And questions remain about how she contracted the virus while helping to care for Spanish missionaries brought back from West Africa with Ebola, and the way her own case was handled.

Romero was in court Thursday to seek 150,000 euros in damages from the then-Madrid health minister she accuses of blaming her for catching the disease. He publicly apologized for the comments and later resigned.

She is also taking legal action against regional health authorities over the death of Excalibur.

Teresa Romero Ramos and her dog, Excalibur.

Spanish nurse leaves hospital Ebola free

Women vulnerable during Ebola epidemic

Speaking to CNN from Madrid, in her only global TV interview since leaving hospital, Romero became tearful as she recounted how she learned her adored dog had been put down.

"Due to my serious illness, no one was telling me what was happening in the outside world," she said.

Unbeknownst to her, locked away in a hospital isolation room, animal rights activists had campaigned to prevent the dog's euthanasia, with an online petition gathering more than 400,000 signatures. But their efforts failed.

Can pets get or spread Ebola?

Finally, on the day Romero received a negative blood test for Ebola, her husband Javier Limon broke the news in a phone call to her room.

"My husband decided to wait in order to tell me about it and to me it was a very sad piece of news, totally unexpected. I haven't got words to talk about it," she said, her emotion obvious.

It was probably better not to tell her while she was ill, she said, but the loss still affects her today.

"I've forgotten about everything except the death of Excalibur -- not the death itself, but the way in which this was done without finding out first whether the dog was infected," she said. "I think it would've been much wiser to put the dog in quarantine and keep an eye on it, rather than to sacrifice the dog like that."

This was what happened in the case of Texas nurse Nina Pham, whose dog Bentley was quarantined while she was treated for Ebola. After testing negative for the virus, the pet was eventually returned, tail wagging, to its grateful owner.

Romero: Experience was surreal

It was "easier" for the Madrid authorities to have her dog put down, Romero said, but it made what was already a traumatic situation for her far harder. And she still asks herself why it had to be that way.

"It's a lack of sensitivity, a lack of human feelings, it's really nasty, nasty. Everything has been this way, but we forget about everything except the death of my dog."

The "everything" Romero refers to relates to the way her infection with Ebola was first diagnosed and then handled.

After she was taken to the Alcorcon Hospital in Madrid by ambulance, suffering symptoms including vomiting and a rash, she underwent a battery tests.

But such was the apparent state of confusion, she said, that she found out she'd been confirmed as having Ebola not from medical staff -- but by seeing the news story on her cell phone.

"It is surreal, nobody tells you anything and they come and put you inside a bubble and they take you away. And they didn't tell you anything. It is really odd."

She said she later found out that the emergency room doctor who first treated her was not informed about her two positive blood tests either.

"Surprising as it is, this is how it happened," she said. "No doctor told me about it, nobody told me anything about it, nothing. I think that they were going crazy. This took us all aback."

CNN is seeking comment from the Spanish Health Ministry over Romero's allegation that news that she had tested positive for Ebola was given to the press before she found out.

It's still not clear how this leak transpired.

'You think about it'

Meanwhile, Madrid's superior court has already ruled once on the case of Excalibur -- saying that regional health officials did not act recklessly in putting him down.

But Romero's legal team is planning to take them to court again, seeking 150,000 euros compensation for his death.

She also wants to see a change in the official protocols for caring for suspected Ebola cases so others don't undergo the same ordeal.

This could include recording the medical staff as they work so any errors in taking off the protective gear could be spotted and lessons learned, according to Romero. She says she still does not know how she herself contracted the virus -- and likely never will.

"I followed the protocols. I followed the guidelines. I did everything that needs to be done," she said. "What you are doing is something so serious, you are risking your life every time you walk into a room -- so you think about it."

Last month, the hospital's Director General Dr. Rafael Perez-Santamarina, said that through Romero's case, the hospital had learned many lessons about the treatment of Ebola patients and how to protect staff caring for them.

Romero said she was not yet completely physically recovered from the virus -- which has killed more than 6,000 people in West Africa -- but was slowly getting better.

Meanwhile, her anger and grief over Excalibur's fate continues to burn strongly.

"If I had known about the killing of the dog, I would never have volunteered" to care for the Spanish missionaries, she said.

CNN's Max Foster contributed to this report.

Officials: Boko Haram kidnaps 185

• Boko Haram overruns a Nigerian village in pickup trucks, shooting at men


• The insurgents douse houses with gasoline and set them on fire


• They round up women, girls and boys and kidnap them


• News takes days to get out, since telecommunications towers had been destroyed

Kano, Nigeria (CNN) -- Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped at least 185 women and children, and killed 32 people in a raid in northeastern Nigeria this week, local officials and residents said.

Gunmen in pickup trucks attacked the village of Gumsuri, just north of Chibok, on Sunday, shooting down men before herding women and children together.

"They gathered the women and children and took them away in trucks after burning most of the village with petrol bombs," a local government official said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

News of the attack took four days to emerge because of a lack of communication. Telecommunications towers in the region had been disabled in previous attacks.

Local officials learned of the attack from residents who fled to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where the officials had moved a year ago to escape Boko Haram attacks.

The militants stormed the village from two directions, overwhelming local vigilantes who had repelled Boko Haram attacks over the course of the year, said Gumsuri resident Umar Ari, who trekked for four days to Maiduguri.

‎"They destroyed almost half the village and took away 185 women, girls and boys," Ari said.‎

Resident Modu Kalli said the militants fired heavy machine guns on the village and poured canisters of gasoline on houses before setting them on fire.

"We lost everything in the attack. I escaped with nothing, save the clothes I have on me," Kalli said.

Hundreds of residents of Gumsuri continue to arrive in Maiduguri, which has been struggling to accommodate thousands of residents fleeing towns and villages overrun by Boko Haram.

Cameroon: At least 116 Boko Haram fighters killed

Meanwhile, the Cameroon military says that it killed at least 116 Boko Haram fighters during a fight in northern Cameroon on Wednesday, near the border with northeastern Nigeria.

The incident began when the militant group tried to attack the Cameroonian town of Amchide, military spokesman Lt. Col. Didier Badjeck said.

One Cameroonian soldier was killed, and another was missing after the attack, according to a statement released by Badjeck. Boko Haram destroyed two trucks and stole a third, Badjeck said.

Badjeck said the military believes its artillery also inflicted unspecified damage to Boko Haram on the Nigerian side of the border during the fight.

"Our defense forces rigorously fought back this barbaric attack, and forced the enemy to retreat," Cameroonian government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary said.

"This terrorist group has only one objective: to spread fear and uncertainty amongst our population. But I can assure you that they will be defeated," Bakary said.

Two months ago, the nearby area of Limani, Cameroon, was the site of a deadly clash between Boko Haram and Cameroonian forces. Eight Cameroonian soldiers and 107 Boko Haram fighters were killed during an attack by the militants that month, Cameroon state-run broadcaster CRTV reported, citing the Cameroonian defense ministry.

Campaign of violence

Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombing government buildings.

This month, at least one female Boko Haram suicide bomber killed five people in Maiduguri. Last month, suicide bombings killed nearly 180 people. More than half of the victims died in an attack on a mosque that many suspect Boko Haram was behind.

The group has targeted mainstream Islam, saying that it does not represent the interests of Nigeria's 80 million Muslims and that it perverts Islam.

In April, Boko Haram militants drew international condemnation when they kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls, many of whom they later said they sold into slavery.

At least 5,000 people have died at Boko Haram's hands, according to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report, making it one of the world's deadliest terrorist organizations.

Aminu Abubakr reported and wrote from Kano; CNN's Ben Brumfield wrote in Atlanta. Journalist Ngala Killian Chimtom and CNN's Jason Hanna contributed to this report.