Soldiers have thwarted another Boko Haram attack on an army base in northeast Nigeria, the latest in a series of offensives against military targets in the remote region.
Scores of fighters attacked the base in Damasak, in the far north of Borno state, on Wednesday evening, firing heavy artillery in an apparent bid to overrun it.
According to report,hours of fighting ensued but the attack was repelled with the help of aerial support, military sources in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
Nigerian Army spokesman Brigadier General Texas Chukwu confirmed troops from 145 battalion were fighting the jihadists, calling the battle “fierce”.
“The troops are dealing with the terrorists,” he said on Wednesday evening.
Chukwu’s statement was a departure from the military’s repeated denials of Boko Haram attacks in recent weeks, which have seen dozens of troops killed and weapons stolen.
Last month, 48 soldiers were killed in a raid in the village of Zari, near Damasak, while last Friday, a base was sacked in the town of Gudumbali.
Gudumbali is 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Damasak. Thousands of civilians were forced to flee and Boko Haram temporarily seized the town before withdrawing the next day.
CREDIT: GUARDIAN
