(MENAFN- Arab Times) Boko Haram fighters hacked to death 10 people in a remote village in northeast Nigeria, a local government official told AFP. Maina Ularamu, local government chairman of Madagali, in the north of Adamawa state, said the attack happened early on Friday morning in Pambula- Kwamda village. "The attackers went into the village around 4:00 am (0300 GMT) while residents were still asleep and used machetes to attack their victims," he added.
News of the attack only emerged on Monday because of the remote location and communications difficulties caused by the insurgency. The attack is the latest by Boko Haram in northern Adamawa state, which was declared "clear" of insurgents in March by the military. A number of villages in the area have been hit as troops try to flush out rebels from their Sambisa Forest stronghold, just across the border in neighbouring Borno state. Soldiers have in recent weeks rescued hundreds of women and children from the forest after they were kidnapped during Boko Haram raids.
On Sunday, 31 people - most of them children under 12 - who were freed last week were brought to the Malkohi camp outside the northeastern city of Yola, relief officials said. On Monday, defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said troops had thwarted an attack on Mafa, 50 kms (30 miles) east of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri. About 30 Boko Haram fighters were killed and "many others" wounded, he added in a statement.
Scores of Islamist militants in trucks and on motorcycles stormed the town of Gubio, 95 kms (60 miles) by road north of the state capital, Maiduguri, on Saturday night. "Boko Haram invaded our town last night and killed many of our people and burnt more than half of the town," resident Babor Kachalla, who fled to Maiduguri following the attack, told AFP. "We all fled into the bush amid volleys of bullets and rockets. We lost many people in the attack because the gunmen overpowered the soldiers guarding the town," he added, without specifying a death toll. Another resident, Adam Kakami, said the attackers, who were dressed in military uniform, withdrew after six hours. "We stayed in the bush from where we could hear sounds of guns up to 3:00 am (0200 GMT) when the shooting stopped but we could see fire from all over the town," he added. "We decided not to return and moved towards Maiduguri because we were afraid they would return." Civilian vigilante Babagana Gunda predicted a high death toll because Boko Haram "had a field day". Last November the rebels invaded Gubio but were repelled by troops and vigilantes guarding the town. A military officer in Maiduguri, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said reinforcements succeeded in pushing the Islamists out of the town.
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