Sahara Reporters is reporting that Boko Haram militants may have kidnapped 18 female soldiers in Baga in Borno State. Report below...
Two sources told SaharaReporters that, out of 26 female soldiers posted
to the military base of the Multinational Joint Task Force, only eight
have so far been accounted for.
The commander of the troops in the area, Colonel Kuti, has also not been
found since the insurgents attacked the town on Saturday.
Residents of Baga told our reporters that Boko Haram insurgents invaded
their town and killed at least 55 people, including soldiers attached to
MNJTF.
Both residents and security sources said the insurgent attack lasted
close to 18 hours before the Islamist terrorists overpowered the troops
and seized the military base.
One military source said the attack took them by surprise. He said the
troops made a gallant effort to repel the attack, but that hundreds of
Islamist militants stormed the military base with high-caliber weapons. A
resident revealed that the invading insurgents also burnt down parts of
the fishing town.
Bukar Kaka, a fisherman who fled from the town, said no fewer than 50
villagers, including five soldiers, were killed while others sustained
wounds in the attacks. He said he saw soldiers fleeing.
A security source said the insurgent invaders also stormed other
neighboring communities, shooting indiscriminately at people. He added
that the militants also destroyed hundreds of houses and shops, often
using fuel and other explosive devices.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Senator
Maina Ma’aji Lawan confirmed the insurgents’ attack on Baga and
surrounding towns. He added that military troops and youth volunteers,
popularly known as ‘civilian JTF, had attempted to repel the onslaught,
but were overpowered by the invaders.
