MAIDUGURI ATTACK LATEST: More Than 200 Boko Haram Insurgents Killed
Some
of the arms and ammunitions recovered from the scene of a Boko Haram
attack on Giwa Barracks on March 14, 2014. Credit: Premium Times
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Nigerian security forces and a local vigilante group known as the civilian JTF killed at least 207 Boko Haram insurgents who launched an attack on a military barracks and other parts of Maiduguri on Friday.
This information has been disclosed by the members of the civilian JTF.
The Boko Haram members, said to be wearing military uniform, invaded the capita of Borno state at about 7am on Friday. Shooting sporadically, they tried to release some of their their detained fellow fron the Giwa barracks, but were repelled by soldiers.
Members of the Civilian JTF were later seen heading towards the scene with clubs and sticks.
At least five soldiers, among them a woman, as well as a number of civilians have been reported to be killed in the fierce battle between the sect and the military, but the officials have not confirmed it yet.
One of the leaders of the vigilante group, Mallam Abdullahi, told Premium Times that the number of the killed
Boko Haram members is likely to increase.
"We have counted 207 dead members of Boko Haram in our area, Jiddari-Polo, alone. Many others are being killed in the bush because the fighter-jet is still shelling them, and some of our members have accompanied the soldiers in pursuing them," he said.Among the 207 dead insurgents are the attacking members of the Boko Haram and some members freed from the military Giwa barracks.
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Bodies of suspected Boko Haram members, Maiduguri, March 14, 2014
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Premium Times also reports that the Maiduguri residents described as encouraging the sight of youth in their thousands storming the neighbourhoods of the attacks with clubs, spears, bows and arrows, and machete, searching for Boko Haram members.
Civilian deaths are still to be confirmed
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One of the vehicles used by the attackers captured by troops. Photo: Courtesy Defence Headquarters
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Babaji Adamu, a resident of Fori, said the bombing destroyed many houses and killed a girl who was hiding with the parents in a house.
Another witness said that one student of the University of Maiduguri was killed, while three others were seriously injured as stray rocket bullets landed in the campus.
But the Director of Information for the school, Ahmed Muhammed, said the campus was not bombed.
"What people heard or saw were bullets from the area of the attack that fell into our campus," he said in a telephone interview.As for now, the Borno capital has been returning to normality as members of the Civilian JTF took to the streets singing victory songs and chanting anti-Boko Haram slogans.
The army, however, imposed a 24-hour curfew on the city.
Where was the newly appointed chief of army staff?
It is believed that Friday terrorists’ attempt was a response to the intensity of attacks on their camps at Talala, Monguzum, Sambisa forest, Gwoza, Mandara mountains, as well as the general area of Lake Chad.
The attack came days after the newly appointed chief of army staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah, had moved to Maiduguri temporary to oversee the government’s response to attacks by the Islamist sect.
It is not clear, however, whether Minimah was in Maiduguri during the attack. Neither have been there been reports of his visiting any of the affected areas, or meeting with the media.
