Maiduguri: Nigerian troops repelling Boko Haram invasion

Nigerian soldiers from 7 Division are reportedly in a battle with Boko Haram gunmen, trying to overrun Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The Boko Haram militants who entered the town on foot at about 6:30 pm are said to be armed with AK 47s and rocket propelled launchers.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the evening in the city, the birthplace of Boko Haram battling to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria.

Soldiers stopped suspected Boko Haram fighters in Aldawari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, 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.

Since losing most of the territory it seized earlier this year to the army, Boko Haram 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.

Another 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 thousands and displaced more than two million people in the remote northeast.