BOKO HARAM ATTACKED BURATAI VILLAGE

As the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari gave the military 31 December as the deadline to put an end to the jihadist insurgents- Boko Haram - in the country- that have since 2009 displaced around 2.6 million people and about 17,000 killed - they struck again this morning at Buratai the village of the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff. The insurgents were said to have engaged the Nigerian troops in a fierce gunbattle.

No casualties was immediately reported in the fight in Buratai in Borno state, the home village of Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Nigeria’s top army officer.


A resident of the nearby hamlet of Miringa,Abubakar Umar, told AFP that the fighting started at 5:00 am after Boko Haram insurgents attacked the village.

He said that, “At one point we could hear explosions coming from the direction of Buratai,” and troops reinforcements from a military base in the town of Biu, 30 kilometres from Buratai, were seen passing through Miringa."

“Nine trucks conveying soldiers and another four carrying local hunters drove through our village towards Buratai and from what we hear more are on their way,” said Shitu Ayuba, another resident.

Some Buratai residents had fled to Miringa, where they took shelter in a primary school, locals said.

The residents believe that Buratai and its environs have been targeted in deadly raids by Boko Haram insurgents since June this year, when the army chief assumed office, attacks they to be in response to recent military gains against the jihadists under the army chief.