18 Female Soldiers Feared Kidnapped In Baga, Borno state

     Two sources told SaharaReporters that, out of 26 female soldiers posted to the military base of the Multinational Joint Task Force, only eight have so far been accounted for. The commander of the troops in the area, Colonel Kuti, has also not been found since the insurgents attacked the town on Saturday. Residents of Baga told our reporters that Boko Haram insurgents invaded their town and killed at least 55 people, including soldiers attached to MNJTF.

    Both residents and security sources said the insurgent attack lasted close to 18 hours before the Islamist terrorists overpowered the troops and seized the military base. One military source said the attack took them by surprise. He said the troops made a gallant effort to repel the attack, but that hundreds of Islamist militants stormed the military base with high-caliber weapons. A resident revealed that the invading insurgents also burnt down parts of the fishing town. Bukar Kaka, a fisherman who fled from the town, said no fewer than 50 villagers, including five soldiers, were killed while others sustained wounds in the attacks. He said he saw soldiers fleeing.

    A security source said the insurgent invaders also stormed other neighboring communities, shooting indiscriminately at people. He added that the militants also destroyed hundreds of houses and shops, often using fuel and other explosive devices.

    In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Senator Maina Ma’aji Lawan confirmed the insurgents’ attack on Baga and surrounding towns. He added that military troops and youth volunteers, popularly known as ‘civilian JTF, had attempted to repel the onslaught, but were overpowered by the invaders.