From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Military troops in the counter-terrorism operation in the northeast have overpowered Boko Haram insurgents in a crossfire at the hometown of the former Chief of Army Staff, in the southern part of Borno.
Dozens of terrorists stormed Buratai, hometown of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, former army chief, at about 3am last Sunday, two vigilance members in the area, told Daily Sun.
The news of the attack did not get to Maiduguri, the state capital, until yesterday, due to the remoteness of the area.
“They invaded Buratai early in the morning before Sahur (meal before the start of Muslim fast) around 3am. They were firing seriously and the soldiers responded immediately,” Abubakar Usman, a vigilante disclosed.
He said the terrorists targeted the military base in the town, but were overpowered by troops’ response after nearly an hour of fierce shooting.
Other sources also claimed the troops killed about 10 of the terrorists, while one soldier lost his life during the cross-fire.
Daily Sun could not reach Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force Northeast, Operation Hadin Kai, which oversees the area of the incident for official confirmation at press time.