According to reports, the Islamists sect, Boko Haram have hoisted their black and white flag over the north-eastern town of Damboa that was left undefended by Nigeria’s military, civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said.
According to PM NEWS, Hundreds of people in another north-eastern area, Askira Uba, are fleeing after receiving letters from the Boko Haram threatening to attack and take over their villages, Abbas Gava, spokesman for Nigerian Vigilante Group said, adding that: “nine major villages are on the run.”
The only defence came from vigilantes armed with clubs and homemade rifles, Gava said.
Survivors said on Saturday that the insurgents had attacked the town of Damboa before dawn on Friday, firing rocket-propelled grenades, throwing homemade bombs into homes and gunning down people as they tried to escape the ensuing fires. Most of the town had burned down, they said.
A human rights advocate confirmed the incident, adding that, Boko Haram had struck again as people were trying to bury their dead, and that the toll was probably much higher than 100. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
The town had been under siege for two weeks, since Boko Haram dislodged soldiers from a new tank battalion camp on its outskirts.
The defence ministry claimed to have repelled the attack and killed at least 50 insurgents for the loss of six soldiers, including the commanding officer, but locals said many soldiers had been killed and that the military had been driven from the base. They said in the past week, the extremists have twice ambushed military convoys trying to reach the base.
The militants cut off access to the town on Monday, when they blew up a bridge to the south of it. Damboa is on the main road south from Maiduguri, Borno state capital, and at a strategic crossroads for farmers bringing their produce to market.
According to premium times, a top security official in Maiduguri confirmed the Damboa attack and said flags suspected to be those of the Boko Haram sect had been hoisted there.After the soldiers fled, the terrorists took over the highway leading to the town, residents say.
“There is no single person in Damboa as we are speaking now except the insurgents,” a member of the civilian vigilante group said.
The only defence came from vigilantes armed with clubs and homemade rifles, Gava said.
Survivors said on Saturday that the insurgents had attacked the town of Damboa before dawn on Friday, firing rocket-propelled grenades, throwing homemade bombs into homes and gunning down people as they tried to escape the ensuing fires. Most of the town had burned down, they said.
A human rights advocate confirmed the incident, adding that, Boko Haram had struck again as people were trying to bury their dead, and that the toll was probably much higher than 100. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
The town had been under siege for two weeks, since Boko Haram dislodged soldiers from a new tank battalion camp on its outskirts.
The defence ministry claimed to have repelled the attack and killed at least 50 insurgents for the loss of six soldiers, including the commanding officer, but locals said many soldiers had been killed and that the military had been driven from the base. They said in the past week, the extremists have twice ambushed military convoys trying to reach the base.
The militants cut off access to the town on Monday, when they blew up a bridge to the south of it. Damboa is on the main road south from Maiduguri, Borno state capital, and at a strategic crossroads for farmers bringing their produce to market.
According to premium times, a top security official in Maiduguri confirmed the Damboa attack and said flags suspected to be those of the Boko Haram sect had been hoisted there.After the soldiers fled, the terrorists took over the highway leading to the town, residents say.
“There is no single person in Damboa as we are speaking now except the insurgents,” a member of the civilian vigilante group said.
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