No fewer than 25 members of the Boko Haram terrorists group were on Sunday night killed by troops of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno state, according to security officials.
The attack on Damboa had cast much doubts that many concerned had expressed over the much talked- about ceasefire deal the federal government said it signed on Friday with the Boko Haram gunmen.
It would be recalled that Boko Haram had on the 17th of July 2014 hoisted their flags in Damboa after a deadly gun battle that left, five policemen, several soldiers and Lieutenant Colonel Commanding the military base in Damboa dead with property worth billions of naira destroyed.
A reliable security source in Maiduguri told our Correspondent that the insurgents invaded Damboa town at about 5:15pm on Sunday.
Damboa is south and 85km drive from Maiduguri, the state capital. It also share borders with Sambisa forest where Boko Haram has its largest suspected training camp.
A resident of Damboa, Mallam Aji Bukar Kura who was among hundreds that fled to Chibok for safety during the attack however said, they were considering coming back to Damboa today (Monday) as they were informed by security operatives that the attack was repelled and more than two dozens of them were killed.
Another source said “terrorists numbering over 100 in 7 Hilux pickup vans and motorcycles fully armed with Rocket Propelled Launchers, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), AK47 rifles stormed the town on Sunday night, they realized that the town has started picking up live following returning back of many fleeing residents after military took over from the terrorists who had captured the town in June this year, but we are happy that they were confronted”.
He however commended the gallantry effort of the military troops in Damboa for successfully repelling the attack which led to the killing over over 20 terrorists with the recovery of arms and ammunitions.
The Director Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade ould not be immediately reached for confirmation but a top security source who is not authorized to talk to the press confirmed the incident in Maiduguri yesterday.
He said, “There was an attack on Damboa on Sunday evening and our soldiers had effectively repelled them and killed 25 of them during a shootout.
“The soldiers were able to recover several ammunition including a ‘Buffallo Armoured Personnel Carrier which the terrorists abandoned”, he said.
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