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Thursday, 16 February 2012

Soldiers, Boko Haram in gun battle

MAIDUGURI— RESIDENTS of Maiduguri were forced to return home earlier than the curfew time, yesterday, as soldiers and members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram, engaged in a fierce gun battle that lasted for over an hour.

It was gathered that the sect's men had ambushed some soldiers deployed to Gwange, a Boko Haram flash-point at 5pm yesterday, leading to the death of one of the soldiers.

The Joint Task Force, JTF, was said to have hurriedly dispatched soldiers in five patrol vehicles and an armoured tank in the area.

The popular Lagos Street was immediately cordoned off. A resident of Gwange area told Reports on phone that soldiers chased the Boko Haram men and started shooting, claiming many people died in the gun battle.

The resident said: "I think Boko Haram killed one of their men and another one was injured. So when they came there, they started shooting, breaking peoples' houses and blocking all the roads in the area.

"Some people were hit by stray bullets but I can't tell you the number of casualties because everywhere is dark. I'm just lying down in my house now."

"Nobody can tell what will come next because these soldiers are angry today. It is not safe to stay outside now," Idris, another resident said.

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