Military repels Boko Haram in Borno

Military forces yes­terday, repelled attack on Biu, the largest town in southern Borno, killing no fewer than 45 insurgents.

Sources said the insurgents in about 10 Hilux vehicles, arrived in Biu, some 187 kilo­metres from the state capital, Maiduguri, at about 6a.m. and launched attack on the town. The military troops in the town were quick to respond as they tackled the insurgents, a security source said.

“Many of the insurgents were killed through air bom­bardment and ground strike,” said a military source, who did not want his name in print. The source said the military intercepted one of the Hilux vehicles and seized some arms from the insurgents.

Residents said the gun bat­tle lasted for about an hour, adding that troops quickly moved to strategic locations in the town to prevent some of the Boko Haram fighters from gaining access to the area. They said they counted 45 bodies of the insurgents, but another source said 10 Boko Haram members were killed.

Another source stated that some soldiers and civilians were wounded in the attack but Daily Sun could not con­firm the claim before press time.

However, residents of Az­are, headquarters of Hawul Local Government, few kilo­metres from Biu, said some of the insurgents that fled Biu later attacked the office of the council chairman. “They set fire on the office as they were fleeing from Biu, shoot­ing sporadically into the air,” a resident, Adamu, told Daily Sun on phone. Biu town had witnessed relative peace since late 2013 until yesterday.