Residents Flee As Soldiers Clash With Boko Haram In Borno

Hundreds of civilians fled their homes in a town in the central part of Borno State on Friday when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents clashed with security forces.

Boko Haram reportedly stormed the ancient town of Dikwa around 6:05 pm, shooting sporadically but troops engaged them immediately in a gun battle that lasted for hours.

Speaking to DailyTrust, a witness said: “They came into Dikwa around 6:05 pm, shooting sporadically.”

“They took soldiers by surprise. Thousands of our people are taking refugee in the bush as we speak. I just spoke with an International Non-Governmental Organisation worker who told me that the sounds are deafening.”

A security source confirmed attacked on Dikwa but said the troops are on top of the situation.

“Our air support are currently bombarding the outlaw group, troops are on top of the situation. There is no cause for alarms” the source said.