World Bulletin / News Desk 

Nigeria's military has detained two Al Jazeera journalists in the northeast city of Maiduguri since Tuesday, the news outlet said on Thursday.

Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa, both Nigerian nationals, remain confined in their hotel room and their equipment confiscated after being questioned by the military officials on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera said the two journalists were detained while reporting on the Nigerian forces fighting armed group Boko Haram as part of Al Jazeera's special coverage on the upcoming elections.

Nigeria's defence headquarters said on Wednesday that the two television reporters were "restrained to their hotel" after they had been monitored for "loitering" in areas where military operations were on-going against the country's Islamist insurgency.