11 insurgents killed as Boko Haram attacks Biu

FOUR trucks loaded with Boko Haram fighters with several others on motorcycles stormed Biu town in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, in the early hours of Wednesday, and they attempted to take over the Biu Military Barrack but met a brick wall, as the soldiers held them until air support came to clear them.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, 11 insurgents had been killed while a civilian JTF was wounded during the attack.

Reacting to the attack, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politicians from Southern Borno have alleged that the attack on Biu, which was repelled by soldiers and civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in the area may have been another plan by the state government to deny them the opportunity to launch their campaign in the area.

According to them, ‘‘We are preparing to go to the area to launch our campaign for the 2015 general election, and Boko Haram came to attack. Is that a coincidence or the handiwork of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under Kashim Shettima?’’

‘‘They were there for two days to campaign and nothing happened, only for us to plan to come today and attack was going on. Perhaps APC is working with the insurgents to destabilise the area as they did in Northern Borno,” one of the PDP candidates for National Assembly said.

According to reports, people who were brave to come out went along with members of the civilian JTF in the local government to support the military during the attack which was suspected to have been a plan to capture the military barracks in Biu by the Boko Haram insurgents.

A resident said the soldiers were able to hold the insurgents in the fight which lasted two hours before air support came which made the insurgents to run.

Residents said the attackers retreated and assembled at Sabon Kasuwa area of Hawul Local Government, where they had turned into their base and had used on several occasions to attack surrounding towns and villages.

“We heard gunshots and, suddenly, we started hearing chanting ‘‘allahu akbar,’’ before we could say what, they were everywhere exchanging fire with the soldiers around the barracks but we thank God they have been repelled,” Usman, a resident of Biu, told the Nigerian Tribune on phone.

According to him, people living at Yimirshika town of Hawul Local Government said they saw them when they were heading for Biu and while they were returning after they had been repelled in Biu by Airforce fighter jets.

Also, reports from Sabon Kasuwa in Hawul Local Government said the insurgents had attacked some villages while fleeing bombardment by the fighter Jet, while others claimed it was the fighter Jet that destroyed some of the villages while repelling the insurgents.

Source http://tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/26734-11-insurgents-killed-as-boko-haram-attacks-biu