Nigeria: Dozens killed in suspected Boko Haram attack

By Rafiu Ajakaye and and Olarewaju Kola

LAGOS/MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) - Dozens of people were killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack on Sunday night in villages in northeastern Nigeria, the army said Monday.

Army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said 15 people, including a soldier, had been killed and 83 injured.

The incident occurred when militants tried to enter the villages near Maiduguri. Army troops engaged in a gun battle with them, but some civilians got caught in the crossfire, locals said.

In a statement later on Monday, the army said six militants had been killed and seven suicide bombers struck down.

Bashir Garga, regional coordinator of a Nigerian relief agency, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that 18 people had been killed in the attack, however, the gunfight had stopped in the villages of Bale-Shuwa, Bale-Kura and Alkaranti.

Government-backed civilian vigilante spokesman Jubrin Gumda said: "There were deaths but it is hard to say how many were civilians...several suicide bombers died in the process. But we did not lose any of our members to the the attack."

The attacks were the first since Nigeria said it was negotiating a ceasefire with Boko Haram.