Hundreds of civilians fled their homes when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents attacked a town in the central part of Borno State on Friday.
The deadly group reportedly stormed the ancient town of Dikwa around 6:05 pm, shooting sporadically but troops engaged them immediately.
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The gun battle was said to have lasted for hours.
“They came into Dikwa around 6:05 pm, shooting sporadically,” a witness told Daily Trust.
“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.
On Sunday, Boko Haram fighters had displaced troops from Marte, about 25 kilometers away from Dikwa.
