Troops flee as Boko Haram retakes Borno town
APRIL 25, 2015 : AFP
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Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have forced
hundreds of soldiers to flee Marte, a border town
along the shores of Lake Chad, a local official and
witnesses said.
“The terrorists, numbering over 2,000, appeared
from various directions on Thursday and engaged
the soldiers in Kirenowa town and adjoining
communities in Marte,” said Imamu Habeeb, a
local community leader.
“They fought with soldiers over the night and the
fight continued today (Friday), forcing hundreds
of soldiers to flee,” he added from Borno State
capital, Maiduguri.
Local fighter Shehu Dan Baiwa said the more than
2,000 fighters had been armed with bombs and
tanks.
“They used the weapons without restraint and
succeeded in killing several people,” he said.
This is the third time Boko Haram has seized
control of Marte in restive Borno State, a key
battleground of their six-year insurgency, which
has killed more than 13,000 and left 1.5 million
persons homeless.
The city is among several retaken in recent weeks
by Nigeria’s military, which has launched an
offensive against the Islamists as part of a
regional operation supported by Chad, Cameroon
and Niger.
But Boko Haram have been fighting back, and
unconfirmed reports said the soldiers were forced
to retreat from Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest
stronghold this week after a landmine blast killed
one soldier and three vigilantes.
A senior local politician confirmed, on condition of
anonymity, that the insurgents had retaken
Marte.
“We lost many (people) because some of our
people that fled to Chad and Cameroon have
returned after troops recovered the town recently,”
he added.
A senior military official confirmed the attack on
Marte, but refused to say whether Boko Haram
had retaken the town, describing the army’s
retreat as “strategic"
source: www.punchng.com/news/troops-flee-as-boko-haram-retakes-borno-town/?hootPostID=b61f80f2bec6a7975ac064e69078a044

Dem fight from night till friday and no back up arrived? Naija is almost lost o

Islam