Boko Haram Insurgency: Borno Army Base Under Heavy Attack

A group of gunmen, allegedly Boko Haram
members, stormed military barracks in Borno
in the early hours of December 20, 2013,
Friday.

The army and residents confirmed that the
attackers sprayed spraying gunfire on the troops
inside before torching the compound. The
military has reportedly initiated pursuit of the
insurgets.
Mohammed Dole, the Army spokesperson in
Borno state, confirmed the attack on the
military barracks in the town of Bama.
However, he did not confirm the claims of
several Bama residents, who said dozens, or
perhaps even hundreds, of insurgents armed
with assault rifles, explosives and rocket-
propelled-grenades swarmed the barracks in a
convoy of 4x4 trucks.
Bama resident Abdullahi Idris told the newsmen
that the assault started at around three in the
morning with huge explosions and the cracking
of gunfire.
"Later we saw plumes of smoke and fire
from the barracks," the resident said.
According to Idris and other residents, military
jets flew over the town after the attack.
The nearest air force base is in Borno's capital
Maiduguri, roughly 70 kilometres from Bama.
Another resident, a member of vigilante group,
who spoke with reporters on conditions of
anonymity, said a large section of the barracks
had been destroyed by fire. He further added
that fighter jets allegedly dropped bombs on the
attackers, forcing them to flee.
Neither residents nor Army spokesperson
commented on the estimate number of
casualties.
It would be noted that defence officials have
claimed Boko Haram is now only capable of
attacking soft targets, but Friday's raid in Bama,
which came after a December 2 assault on the
army and air force in Maiduguri, indicates the
insurgents are still capable of daring offensives.