By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Dozens of Boko Haram terrorists were killed Monday night as they set fire to homes in one community and raided another close to Maiduguri, the capital of northeast Nigeria’s Borno State.
“Militants suspected to be from the Abubakar Shekau faction of Boko Haram invaded and burnt many houses in Ajilari while another set attacked Auno. But they met stiff resistance from the troops, who inflicted heavy casualties on them,” Babagana Ibrahim, a member of the local vigilante group, told Anadolu Agency.
“No fewer than 50 terrorists were killed and their gun[-mounted] trucks seized. The ground troops were closely supported by the Air Force, which shelled the militants as they fled from the ground troops.”
Ahmad Salkida, a local independent journalist believed to have a deep understanding of the insurgency, confirmed the attacks on his Twitter account.
Salkida said the brazen attacks on communities less than 25 kilometers from Maiduguri underline the ambition of the militants to capture the city if given the opportunity.
Earlier Monday, the army said over 100 militants were killed in various clearance operations in the communities of Goniri, Damasak, Kross Kauwa and Monguno in Yobe and Borno -- the two states most ravaged by the militancy.
After a lull, Boko Haram in the middle of last year resumed deadly attacks on troop locations, resulting in the deaths of many soldiers in the region.
Last week, local media reported how terrorists from the Abu Musab Al Barnawy faction allied to Daesh overran the fishing town of Baga after ransacking the headquarters of the multinational joint task force there.