Boko Haram fighters battled Nigerian soldiers for about an hour on Wednesday as they tried to take over a military base, in the latest attack against troops in the restive northeast.

A former local government official, a civilian militia member and a motorist who witnessed the shooting said the Islamist militants tried to storm the outpost in the village of Mainok in Borno state.

Troops managed to repel the attack with the help of reinforcements but it comes after a series of similar raids targeting soldiers that is likely to stoke fears of a resurgence.

Lawan Bukar Wasaram, a former chairman of the Kaga district where Mainok is located, said “large numbers” of Boko Haram militants tried to take over the base.

“So far, 14 of the attackers have been killed and two of their (pick-up) trucks impounded,” he told AFP. “The situation has been brought under control by troops.”

A leader of the civilian militia in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, some 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Mainok, gave a similar account, although he put the death toll at nine.

“They attempted to overrun the military base but troops fought back. They had reinforcements,” he added.

Motorist Laminu Isa was travelling to Maiduguri from the capital of neighbouring Yobe state, Damaturu, when he and hundreds of other drivers were caught up in the shooting.

“We had to turn to nearby Jakana village and waited until the fighting stopped,” he said.

“They came in eight pick-up trucks. We saw them when they crossed the roads and many of us stopped in panic. But they told us they weren’t after civilians.

“Their main target was the military so they touched no-one among the motorists.”

Deadly road
Isa said the gunmen came from the direction of Buni Yadi in Yobe, which links up with the Sambisa Forest in Borno — the long-time base of factional leader Abubakar Shekau.

An increase in attacks, including against “hard” military targets, was expected as it has happened before when the Nigerian Army changed senior commanders in the northeast.

Last week, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru was redeployed after just seven months in charge.

The army maintained it was a routine transfer but it followed increased violence in recent weeks, including a suicide bombings that caused heavy civilian casualties.

At least six soldiers died in two separate Boko Haram ambushes earlier this month near Damboa, south of Maiduguri.

The upsurge in attacks could also be an indication that Boko Haram is feeling pressure and is fighting back to secure weapons, ammunition, food and supplies.

The Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road was once one of the most dangerous routes for motorists in the northeast, where at least 20,000 people have been killed in the insurgency since 2009.

In September 2013, at least 167 people were killed when Boko Haram gunmen barricaded the highway in Benisheikh, near Mainok.

Jakana and Mainok were also attacked and burnt in March 2013, killing about 80.

In September 2014, jihadists fired a rocket-propelled grenade and sprayed Mainok market with bullets.


https://guardian.ng/news/world/boko-haram-tries-to-take-over-military-base-in-borno/

Thank God for successfully repelling the attack, May almighty continue Strengthning our able troops.

Kudos

Yet they remain technically defeated. What fallacy

“They came in eight pick-up trucks. We saw them when they crossed the roads and many of us stopped in panic. But they told us they weren’t after civilians.

Humph, “They came in eight pick-up trucks? (like a scene reminiscent of Banana Republic Sierra- leone and Liberia as exemplified by the movie Blood Diamonds?). People, we are talking about 21st century military here. I doubt a bunch of primitive rabbles of the type described could turn up in bare-bone pick-up-trucks and attack a whole Nigeria Army military base in far-far-back 1970. Look, if a single truck escaped, as it seems likely all but two did, reading between the lines, then Nigeria is not taking this thing seriously. They are playing games with peoples lives for whatever motive known to them.

Are these people having a laugh, or is it that leadership has deliberately deprived the army of any armament commensurate with threat level ,which is considerable actually (stretching across Africa from Mali to Congo with France puling the strings in the shadows,one corner and Arabs on the other.



...i support Nigeria Army , but, boy, when one thinks of it, one single pick up truck, in a convoy of eight, shouldn't really be escaping after even attacking common police station in any Nation of the world of the rank Nigeria should belong

But they told us they weren’t after civilians.

lol, imagin, suckers even had time and temerity to converse with civilians!!

(woooo-ha-ha-ha-haaaa, I laugh the insane laughter of Auguste Rodin's Thinker, contemplating the meaning of life and universe; only, I'm contemplating the meaning of Nigeria's' security intentions and not, 'who am I?'

Buhari sef

Boko haram takes over military base jor!

How can they be claiming to fight boko haram when their power are on the refugees in IDP camp. Who's deceiving who?

Nawa ooo

Dis boko Boyz no dey finish sef

I taut dey said BH has been technically defeated. Lai, where are you?

If the troops sent to kill innocent biafrans and half of those sent to dance Buhari's and Burutai's useless python dance can just be sent to Bornu state, in just a week boko haram will be no more. But politics of blood would never allow notherners to do the needful. They do not mind sacrificing their entire people just to keep ruling this ruined geographical enclave...

When boko haram get tired of killing innocent civilians and soldiers, they will surely start killing their sponsors.
quote me anywhere!

Technically defeated!!!!!!!

Boko haram is technically defeated but not physically and manually defeated



Years past, someone said that an attack on Book haram is an attack on the .,,,

OK

Bari22:
Thank God

Thank God that they were repelled....or thank God that they attacked?

But the FG said Boko Haram has been defeated

---

I supply Gas to all parts of Nigeria. See my signature

Banana Republic! !!

magoo10:
Yet they remain technically defeated. What fallacy

1.Truth.I groaned inwardly when Minister of Info said that. Boko type groups usually keep fighting to the last man...literally.

2,On the other hand, Boko used to carry out bombings in cities like Kano, Kaduna, Lagos,etc. Now, they can't. That's a win for the govt.

U meant to say "Nigeria peace keepers tried to peacefuly enter a military base in Bornu?

soft target

Small time now baba go call millitary base soft target....

The North will continue to reap the evil they have planted. Financial parasites n demonic blood suckers.

Litmus:


Humph, “They came in eight pick-up trucks? (like a scene reminiscent of Banana Republic Sierra- leone and Liberia as exemplified by the movie Blood Diamonds?). People, we are talking about 21st century military here. I doubt a bunch of primitive rabbles of the type described could turn up in bare-bone pick-up-trucks and attack a whole Nigeria Army military base in far-far-back 1970. Look, if a single truck escaped, as it seems likely all but two did, reading between the lines, then Nigeria is not taking this thing seriously. They are playing games with peoples lives for whatever motive known to them.

Are these people having a laugh, or is it that leadership has deliberately deprived the army of any armament commensurate with threat level ,which is considerable actually (stretching across Africa from Mali to Congo with France puling the strings in the shadows,one corner and Arabs on the other.



...i support Nigeria Army , but, boy, when one thinks of it, one single pick up truck, in a convoy of eight, shouldn't really be escaping after even attacking common police station in any Nation of the world of the rank Nigeria should belong

Exactly ..its a shame that a gang barefooted scoundrels can drive on Federal roads for over an hour in a straight line motorcade of very soft bodied Toyotas and storm a Nigerian military base and still escape with over 60 percent of the attack party and vehicles ..I have seen many hours of Boko haram offensive footages and they dont know how to fight but yet our Army cant rout them easily ..Its seems we dont even know what assualt helicopter are meant for if not nobody is supposed to drive a convoy of vehicles anywhere unauthorized in borno without being hammered

They will soon come and tell us it never happened. Instead of them to face reality dey keep deceiving us wit fake news of boko defeat.

I pray God gives them wisdom to get rid of dese boko idiots once and for all.

Na wa ooo... I thought this guys have been Technically Defeated.....

I thought they said Boko Haram cannot attack any military formation?
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/boko-haram-capacity-now-degraded-dhq/110118.html

Please has anyone seen the new sherif in town that will lead the Nigerian army to battle against boko haram?

Or is the fight against boko haram still anti-north?