Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked a military formation in Mairari community, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, with some soldiers feared killed.
The attack reportedly occurred around midnight on Tuesday and lasted for more than two hours, raising fears of casualties among troops and the assailants.
The Chairman of Guzamala Local Government Area, Umar Sheriff, confirmed the incident to The PUNCH on Wednesday, saying the attackers targeted the military post and that no civilian was killed.
“The incident occurred last night around 12 am. Though I don’t have statistics regarding the casualties yet, because it’s not everything we are told. It’s a security matter. But I know that no civilian was killed,” he said.
Sheriff described the attack as a major incident, noting that the community had not witnessed an assault of such magnitude in recent times.
“They have never attacked as much as this time, but thank God, the military were able to repel them,” he added.
The chairman said the situation had returned to normal, adding that he planned to visit the community on Thursday to assess the situation firsthand.
“The situation is calm. I will be there tomorrow morning (Thursday) to evaluate the situation,” he stated.
Meanwhile, local sources told The PUNCH that casualties were feared on both sides, although the figures remained unverified as of the time of filing this report.
One of the sources said there were reports of military casualties, with rumours suggesting that seven soldiers were killed during the attack.
“I know there are military casualties. It was rumoured that seven soldiers were killed, but no one could verify that yet,” the source said.
Another source said the attack created tension in the community, adding that the intensity of the gunfire suggested that the assailants might also have suffered casualties.
“That attack left the entire town in tension. With the gunfire yesterday, there is no way that the terrorists will not suffer casualties. Both local forces and the military stood their ground,” the source said.
Efforts to reach the Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, for comments were unsuccessful, as he neither answered nor returned calls as of press time.
The military authorities had yet to provide an official account of the attack or confirm the number of casualties.
