By Ado Oyeyemi
A newly married woman and two other residents lost their lives after suspected Boko Haram insurgents launched coordinated attacks on military positions in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in the early hours of Friday.
The insurgents reportedly targeted military formations at Kofa and Muna in separate assaults, but troops of Operation HADIN KAI successfully repelled the attacks, preventing the terrorists from infiltrating the city.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles, firing indiscriminately as they advanced towards the military bases.
The first attack was reported at Kofa around 2:14 a.m., while another followed at Muna about 16 minutes later.
Although security forces forced the insurgents to retreat, three civilians were reportedly killed by stray bullets during the exchange of gunfire.
A resident of Kofa, Deborah Usman, disclosed that panic gripped the community as residents fled for safety when the gun battle began.
She said a neighbour, who had been married for only three weeks, was struck in the head by a stray bullet and died instantly.
In Muna, another resident, Mannanaye Muhammad, said two people were killed while attempting to escape the violence.
He added that a woman sustained injuries after being hit by a stray bullet inside her home.
According to him, funeral prayers for the deceased were scheduled to be held before their burial later in the day.
The latest attack occurred less than 24 hours after insurgents raided a military location in Logomani community, Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, where a soldier was reportedly killed.
Confirming the incident, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said troops successfully foiled several coordinated infiltration attempts by suspected ISWAP terrorists across different parts of Borno State.
He explained that between 12:20 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Friday, terrorists attempted to gain access to Maiduguri through Muna Garage, Shuwari Village and the Ajilari Cross axis.
However, troops, acting on early intelligence, detected the insurgents and engaged them with heavy firepower, forcing them to retreat.
Captain Goni also disclosed that additional infiltration attempts at Miringa and Dutsen Kura in Buratai were thwarted by troops.
He noted that during the pursuit of fleeing terrorists at Miringa, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). However, no casualties were recorded among the troops.
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According to the military, clearance and exploitation operations are ongoing to track down the fleeing insurgents, consolidate operational gains and prevent further threats to surrounding communities.
