Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Three suspected members of Nigeria's Boko
Haram were killed in the restive northern city of Maiduguri in a
shootout with soldiers deployed to crush the Islamist sect, the army
said on Sunday.
Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the elite unit hunting down Boko Haram members, said militants attacked soldiers in a raid launched late Saturday, triggering a fierce gunbattle that lasted until early on Sunday.
"The attack was repelled. Three Boko Haram members were killed," he said. "Our troops are in pursuit of the sect members. (The) situation is under control."
Musa said the attack in Maiduguri, a Boko Haram bastion, was launched just before a night-time curfew, adding that some passers-by caught in the prolonged crossfire had been "ordered to lie down by the roadside".
A resident caught in the shootout said about 20 gunmen attacked a police station with rifles and explosives.
"There was a shootout that continued throughout the night and around 200 residents were forced to lie on their faces along the streets to avoid being caught in crossfire," he said.
Another local man said he saw six dead bodies.
"The shooting continued throughout the night, we did not sleep. I and my family lay flat to avoid stray bullets," he said.
Boko Haram, blamed for a wave of attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, has targeted mostly the police and other symbols of authority in Africa's most populous nation, but also churches.
Although its specific aims remain largely unclear, violence by the sect since mid-2009 has claimed more than 1,000 lives, including more than 300 this year alone, according to rights groups and an AFP count.
Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the elite unit hunting down Boko Haram members, said militants attacked soldiers in a raid launched late Saturday, triggering a fierce gunbattle that lasted until early on Sunday.
"The attack was repelled. Three Boko Haram members were killed," he said. "Our troops are in pursuit of the sect members. (The) situation is under control."
Musa said the attack in Maiduguri, a Boko Haram bastion, was launched just before a night-time curfew, adding that some passers-by caught in the prolonged crossfire had been "ordered to lie down by the roadside".
A resident caught in the shootout said about 20 gunmen attacked a police station with rifles and explosives.
"There was a shootout that continued throughout the night and around 200 residents were forced to lie on their faces along the streets to avoid being caught in crossfire," he said.
Another local man said he saw six dead bodies.
"The shooting continued throughout the night, we did not sleep. I and my family lay flat to avoid stray bullets," he said.
Boko Haram, blamed for a wave of attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, has targeted mostly the police and other symbols of authority in Africa's most populous nation, but also churches.
Although its specific aims remain largely unclear, violence by the sect since mid-2009 has claimed more than 1,000 lives, including more than 300 this year alone, according to rights groups and an AFP count.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Followers
About Me
- the edwards
- welcome to my blog! I'm Oswald Edward, a professional IT Specialist and entertainer. if you need to request a movie contact me with the email shown! Thanx
Contact Me
Email me at oedward38@gmail.com
Search
Follow me on
Logo
Facebook Badge
Copyright
© 2013 by Oswald Edward.
You're welcome to link to this site or use a single image and brief description to link back to any post. Republishing posts in their entirety is prohibited without permission.
0 comments:
Post a Comment