Hundreds of Boko Haram extremists tried to attack the biggest army base in northeast Nigeria overnight but met fierce resistance from soldiers who fired artillery throughout the night.
Many of them (Boko Haram) were killed outside the trenches while some fled back,” said another civilian fighter, Ibrahim Musa.
We were with the soldiers during the attack and I was shocked to see that Boko Haram could be in such large numbers
Booming cannon and whooshing rockets woke up people living around Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the northeast’s biggest city. The ground shook as people prostrated themselves for evening prayers. Hundreds fled, though some were returning home on Thursday morning.
Maiduguri has suffered several attacks, including a March 14, 2014 assault in which Boko Haram invaded Giwa Barracks and freed hundreds of detainees.
