Against earlier reports that Damasak town in Borno State was taken over by Boko Haram terrorists, reliable sources in the town told DAILY NIGERIAN that the attack was repelled by the Nigerian troops.
Multiple sources in the town said they only heard the sound of gunfire around 6pm, which lasted for about an hour, but the insurgents never entered the town.
The Nigerian Army had earlier said troops of 145 Battalion in Damasak, Borno State were engaging Boko Haram terrorists who came to attack their location at about 6p.m. on Wednesday.
“Fierce battle ongoing right now. The troops are dealing with the terrorists,” a terse statement by spokesman for Nigerian Army, Texas Chukwu, said.
A resident of the town who spoke to DAILY NIGERIAN on phone, Babagana Damasak, said, “We heard the sound of gunshots around 6pm, and after about an hour everything cleared.
“The battle started and ended at the military base. We never saw a single Boko Haram member inside the town. We even observed Magrib prayer in our mosques before going to our homes.”
Another source told DAILY NIGERIAN that what only happened in the wake of the attack was that a stray bullet hit a girl. “I cannot say whether the girl hit by the stray bullet is dead,” he said.
A security source in the town said the Nigerian Army succeeded in killing several members of the terrorist group during the fierce encounter.
