By Babajide Okeowo
A gun duel that lasted several hours during the weekend between soldiers of the Nigerian Army and fighters of the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) has rendered many villagers in communities in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State homeless.
The ground troops and the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole launched an attack on Saturday to repel insurgents who invaded the villages after a similar raid on Garkida and surrounding villages in Adamawa on December 24.
It was gathered that the battle between the troops and the insurgents in Tashan Alade, Shafa, Azare, Sabon-Kasuwa, and Debro, in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State, began on Saturday.
Eleven people were reportedly killed while five others were abducted. Many residents of the area were injured.
The insurgents, during the attacks on the villages, razed down schools, shops, and places of worship.
Three persons were discovered to have been killed in Shafa, two of whom were local hunters and a civilian.
Thousands of bags of farm products recently harvested by farmers were alleged to have been looted by the insurgents who also emptied shops and market stalls.
It was gathered that the insurgents, who invaded villages in Borno State, came in their dozens in nine gun trucks and launched coordinated attacks on the communities.
However, ground troops, with aerial support from military jets, were able to contain and repel them.
As the battle raged, hundreds of the villagers fled their homes as the terrorists continued to shoot sporadically. The fleeing villagers took refuge in the nearby bushes and mountains.
Garkida is located in the Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, a contiguous state to Borno State.
Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, said the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole had scrambled fighter jets to engage the invaders.
“The Air Task Force OPLD has scrambled NAF aircraft to the area since the most recent attack on some settlements surrounding Garkida started just after sunset today (Saturday). The aircraft has been engaging the Boko Haram terrorists,” he said in a statement.
Recall that insurgents have launched a series of attacks in the northern part of the country for about four days running now.
