Trappedresidents report cannon, rockets and submachine gunfire as militants launch third attackin a week on biggest city in north-east Nigeria
Boko Haram Nigeria
Villagers crowd on to a small lorry to flee violence near Maiduguri, Nigeria. Photograph: Jossy Ola/AP
Associated Press in Maiduguri
Sunday 1 February 2015 06.20 EST
Islamist militants have attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in north-east
Nigeria, from four fronts overnight, with booming cannon and whooshing rockets continuing on Sunday.
The third attackin a week on Maiduguri comes amid unconfirmed reports that a Chadian jet fighter helped bomb the extremists out of Gamboru on Nigeria’s north-east border with Cameroon.Boko Haraminsurgents had held the trading centre since August.
Chadian forces on Thursday liberated Malumfatori, another border town that was under the sway of Boko Haram for months.
African leaders at a summit on Saturday authorised the creation of a 7,500-strong force from Nigeria and its four neighbours to confront the spreading Islamist uprising by Nigeria’s home-grown Boko Haram group.
Trappedresidents in Maiduguri said they could not sleep for the noise from cannon, rockets and submachine gunfire that began on Saturday night.
A senior army officer said the militants were everywhere, attacking from all four roads and were within 15km (10 miles) of the city of 2 million. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to give information to reporters.
All exits are blocked and Maiduguri’s international airport has been closed since the insurgents launched a major attack in December2013and destroyed five aircraft at a neighbouring air force base.
Maiduguri is the birthplace of the extremist movement.
Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, declared astate of emergency in May 2013 when he admitted Boko Haram had taken control of dozens of north-eastern villages and towns.
Troops quickly drove the insurgents out but since then, ill-equipped and demoralised, they have been losing ground.
In August, Boko Haram declaredan Islamic caliphate and now holds about 130towns and villages, according to Amnesty International.
The extremists have increased the tempo and ferocity of attacks. About 10,000 have died in the past year compared with about 2,000 in the first four years of the uprising, according to the US Council on Foreign Relations.
Jonathan is running for re-election in a tightly contested vote on 14 February. Boko Haram denounces democracyas a corrupt western invention.
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