Scores killed in Damaturu attack
Posted by admin | 9 years ago | 2,992 times
More than hundreds of Damaturu residents have fled the state capital to the bush as a result of yesterday's attack by insurgents.Scores were feared dead, while at least six died in another twin blasts in neighbouring Maiduguri, Borno State capital. The military responded swiftly to the siege laid on Damaturu, deploying a fighter jet to dislodge the insurgents.
The insurgents, had in a convoy of Hilux vehicles invaded the town at dawn. Residents said they started hearing explosions and gunshots at about 5.30am, but did not immediately know that terrorists were in their neighbourhood.
“I didn’t know what was happening. I thought the shooting would abate, but it continued and by 6am, I saw a Hilux vehicle with about 10 armed men. They were not soldiers or policemen, but dressed like the military. I suspected they were Boko Haram and I ran into my house, evacuated my family and fled. Running out of our house was a great risk, but it was the best I thought we could do at that time, not minding that Boko Haram men were around our neighbourhood,” a survivor, who did not want to be named, said.Sources said the insurgents stormed the town from Gujba axis, a Boko Haram stronghold and moved into the newly upgraded Yobe State University along the road. “They destroyed the administrative building of the university and some structures,” says another resident.
A military source in Damaturu said the Police Mobile base near the university was also attacked even as a military fighter jet was later deployed in the town to repel the attack. There were fears that some of the insurgents may be hiding in some places in the town to wreack more havoc while others fled the town.
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam commended the military and security forces who he said worked very hard on the ground and from the air to repel the attack and forced many of the attackers to flee.”
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, the governor said the capital was firmly under government control as a result of the efforts of the security forces. He said mop-up operations were ongoing.
“Security agents will continue to track and pursue any remnants of the attackers who might still be hiding in the town.” He urged the people to remain vigilant and prayerful, appealing to the troops to remain alert and focused. He said the government will continue to support the security forces to end the insurgency in the area. He also directed public hospitals to treat victims of the attack.
As the Damaturu attack was going on, twin explosions occurred in Maiduguri Monday Market again, killing at least six people. The incident came barely a week after twin blasts claimed 30 lives in the market. Eyewitnesses said two female bombers with explosive devices strapped at their back, strolled into the market, but were stopped by some youth vigilante; Civilian JTF while the vigilante men were searching the women, one of them escaped into a shop and attempted to locate a crowded area. In the middle of the confusion created by the fleeing bomber, the device went off from the body of the first bomber killing her and two others. “The owner of the shop where the second lady ran into, also grabbed her and dragged the lady into an open place and before he could hand her over to the vigilante that apprehended her earlier, she detonated her explosives too. The second blast killed the man and the female suicide bomber,” witnesses said.
A source at the State Specialist Hospital confirmed five corpses were brought in and 43 injured persons, adding that some of the injured have been treated and discharged. However, a security source said six people were killed by the twin blasts. “The two bombers and four civilians died,” the source said.
Source: The SUN
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