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Three soldiers, policeman killed in ISWAP attack on Borno community

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Three soldiers, policeman killed in ISWAP attack on Borno community

At least three soldiers and be policeman were on Thursday killed by IS-backed jihadists, who attacked the town of Gajiram, Borno state.

According to security sources and residents, fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the town around 0100 GMT in nine all-terrain trucks fitted with machine guns and engaged troops and policemen in a gunbattle.

Sources also say Thursday’s attack was the third attack on the military in the town in a month, amd seen as part of a wider Islamist militant insurgency that has raged in Nigeria for a decade.

“The terrorists killed three soldiers and a policeman in the attack and seized some vehicles,” a security source said.

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“They seized five military vehicles including a mine-resistant armoured truck and a police van in the attack,” said the source who asked not to be identified as he was not authorised to speak on the incident.

According to the residents, the militants first attacked the town late Wednesday, forcing troops and policemen to withdraw from the town.

The fighters drove into the town around 1600 GMT, “firing indiscriminately,” said Gajiram resident Abdu Goni.

“They burnt down the police station and took away four military vehicles and another one belonging to the police,” said Goni.

“They returned this morning and killed three soldiers and a policeman without harming any civilians,” he said, adding that the jihadists seized another military pickup truck in the second attack.

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