Maiduguri, the troubled capital of Borno State, was thrown into palpable fear as the military repelled an attempted infiltration by Boko Haram terrorists.
The attack by the insurgents on the town lasted for about an hour and many houses were burnt as children and women are still believed to be missing.
Residents of the town were thrown into panic as the outskirts of the town, Jiddari Polo was attacked about 6pm.
Many people fleeing from the area into the main town, lamented that their homes were torched.
They alleged that the insurgents sporadically shot in the area, and threw powerful explosive ordinance on some of the houses.
The sound of gunshots which enveloped the town, made many to flee into their homes early, with huge numbers of women, children, and aged persons seen trooping into the city centre for safety from area under attack.
A source told our correspondent that many residential houses were completely burnt down at Jiddari Polo.
It is however difficult to ascertain the number of casualties on the side of the combatants and civilian as it was already dark when the shooting ceased and soldiers had already condoned off the area.
However a lot of pictures were shared on social media among people in the town with some people in camouflage believed to be insurgents, felled by bullets.
Military men were seen moving into the area in armoured vehicles to combat the insurgents.
Few minutes later ambulances were seen by the residents moving into the area perhaps to pick corpses and the injured.
Attempts to get the spokesperson of Operation Hai Kai (the military operation in the area), Col Ado Isa, to speak on the attack was unsuccessful as his calls were not picked.
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