Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Boko Haram insurgents wednesday suffered heavy losses during their push for Damboa town in Borno State.
The audacious insurgents have threatened the people of the town in a letter that they were coming to capture it.
This facilitated their defeat as the soldiers and the Civilian JTF had marshaled out a water-tight security plan before their invasion.
A source in the town, said the insurgents were prepared as they brought 30 gun trucks to invade the town.
He said they however met their match in the military/Civilian JTF alliance, which responded with heavy military might.
The source said though the insurgents were heavily armed but there undoing was the lack of surprise which was the hallmark of their attacks.
Their letter had made the alliance of the military and Civilian JTF well prepared.
A source said though the insurgents who attacked the town at about 5am initially had an edge pushing back the equally battle-ready soldiers and Civilian JTF, but the advantage swung when the air reinforcement came down heavily on the insurgents.
The source said they had to retreat when the battleground was too hot for them with many casualties suffered.
Speaking to THISDAY, a reliable security source who did not want his name mentioned, said the attack was massive but “we are grateful to God that the military was able to withstand and repelled the insurgents.”
He said the insurgents attacked Damboa between 5 a.m. and 6a.m and exchanged gunfire with the military and the Civilian JTF.
He said though few men of the Civilian JTF were lost but the insurgents suffered heavily and had to flee back into the bushes.
He disclosed that three gun trucks among those brought by the insurgents were destroyed and 18 were seized.
He added that about 40 people both combatants and non-combatants were injured in the attack.
All attempts to get confirmation from the military were unsuccessful as calls to the phone of the spokesman of Operation Lafiya Dole (the military counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast), Col. Isa Ado were not picked.
