The Nigerian army was able to repel an attack on Sunday by suspected Boko Haram fighters on a village near Maiduguri, Borno State capital, this is as revealed by residents and military sources.
The success of the military in this regard was not without any casualty, as seven people reportedly died in the battle. It was reported that gunfire and explosions could be heard on Sunday evening outside the city.
Soldiers stopped suspected Boko Haram fighters in Aldawari village on the outskirts of the city , military sources and witnesses said.
“We just came out of the mosque after evening prayers, then we started hearing gunshots … then suddenly there was the sound of a blast,” said Nene Hassan, a resident, adding that four people died and five were wounded.
The Boko Haram sect, in recent times has resorted to hitting soft targets such as markets, bus stations and places of worship, as well as hit-and-run attacks on villages, mainly in Borno state.
An witness of Sunday’s attack, Mustapha Ahmadu, said at least seven people had been killed. “More body parts are just lying everywhere,” he said.
The village was set on fire during the shootout between the army and the gunmen, said Alhaji Jiddari, another resident.
“After the prayers we saw people running away from Aldawari village into ours, and there was the sound of gunshots from that direction,” said Jiddari. “Soldiers drove towards the direction of the shooting.”
The insurgency in Nigeria has killed more than 17,000 persons and displaced more than two million people in the remote northeast.
