Posted on: 06:34 Sun, 20 Dec 2015



Boko Haram gunmen launched a
dawn raid Saturday on the
hometown of Nigerian army chief,
triggering a fierce gunbattle with
troops, residents of a nearby village
to which people fled the clashes said.

There was no immediate report of
casualties in the fighting in Buratai
in Borno state, the home village of
Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Nigeria’s top
army officer.

Abubakar Umar, a resident of the
nearby hamlet of Miringa, told AFP
that the fighting began at 5:00 am
after Boko Haram insurgents
attacked the village.

“At one point we could hear
explosions coming from the direction
of Buratai,” he said.

Troops reinforcements from a
military base in the town of Biu, 30
kilometres from Buratai, were seen
passing through Miringa.

“Nine trucks conveying soldiers and
another four carrying local hunters
drove through our village towards
Buratai and from what we hear
more are on their way,” said Shitu
Ayuba, another resident.

Some Buratai residents had fled to
Miringa, where they took shelter in a
primary school, locals said.

Buratai and nearby villages have
been repeatedly targeted in deadly
raids by the Islamist insurgents since
June, when the army chief assumed
office.

Residents believe the attacks are in
response to recent military gains
against the jihadists under the army
chief.

Nigerian President Muhammadu
Buhari has given the military a
December 31 deadline to crush the
jihadist uprising that has killed some
17,000 and displaced around 2.6
million people since 2009.

Source: Vanguard