Boko Haram attacks military base in Nigeria

Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base in remote northeast Nigeria, setting fire to shelters for those made homeless by the conflict, military and humanitarian sources told AFP Tuesday.

The attack in Rann, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, began late on Monday afternoon and forced civilians to flee.

It followed a pattern by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram that has called into question government claims the group is virtually defeated.

A similar attempt was made to take over a military base in Magumeri, 50 kilometres northwest of Maiduguri, on Sunday, a local community leader said.

Rann currently hosts some 35,000 internally displaced people (IDPs), according to the International Organization for Migration.

It has been repeatedly hit in the conflict, exacerbating already dire humanitarian conditions on the ground.

A military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the attack began at about 5:20 pm (1620 GMT) on Monday.

"The terrorists took over a military position in Rann following heavy fighting," he said on condition of anonymity.

Poor visibility because of seasonal Harmattan winds hampered the deployment of air force jets, and troops were forced to withdraw, he added.

"The terrorists went about setting fire to camps and shelters of IDPs. Most people have fled the town into the bush but we have no details of casualties at the moment."
"They had to flee towards Bulale on the Cameroon side of the border. The details are sketchy."