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World|life|January 26, 2015 / 10:39 AM
Boko Haram attacks key Nigerian city of Maiduguri

AKIPRESS.COM - boko Nigeria's military repelled multiple attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants on Borno state capital Maiduguri in the northeast, security sources said on Sunday, but the insurgents captured another Borno town.

The assault on Maiduguri, with a population of around two million, began just after midnight. Sources at two hospitals said at least eight people had died and 27, mostly civilians, had been injured. A second attempt to take the city's airport in the afternoon was also repelled.

A raid on Monguno, 140 km (80 miles) north, began later in the morning and the town fell under militant control by the late afternoon, reports Reuters.

"An exclusive coordinated air campaign has taken over from ground forces in Monguno, as troops had to retreat from the location," defence spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said in an emailed statement.

The militants also simultaneously attacked another town, Konduga, which is 40 km (24 miles) from Maiduguri, but the military said it had thwarted the raid.

The army's inability to quash the Sunni jihadist group is a major headache for President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election in February and who visited the state capital on Saturday as part of his campaign. Opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari had been due to arrive on Monday.

The elections are expected to be the most hotly contested since the end of military rule in 1999, with many fearing violence in the aftermath.

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