Jihadists have killed five policemen in an attack on a northern Nigerian town where more than 100 schoolgirls were abducted two years ago, residents said Thursday.
Fighters aligned to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in four trucks fitted with machine guns stormed Dapchi town in northeastern Yobe State late on Wednesday, sparking intense fighting with security forces, according to local residents.
“This morning, we collected the bodies of five policemen killed in the fight with the insurgents,” a resident told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“The attackers came around 5:00 pm (1600 GMT) and started shooting indiscriminately which made everyone to scamper indoors,” he said.
Another resident said the policemen fought back, killing two of the fighters but were over-powered by the heavily armed jihadists, leaving five officers dead.
“We are preparing to convey the bodies to Damaturu,” the state capital for their burial, he said.
The jihadists made away with two vehicles, one belonging to the police and the other from local hunters fighting alongside security forces, residents said.
The attack came on the same day that 14 people, including six soldiers and four policemen, were killed when rival jihadist faction, Boko Haram attacked a military base in Damboa in neighbouring Borno state.
In recent years, the small town of Dapchi has become increasingly vulnerable to ISWAP fighters, suffering repeated attacks.
