Boko Haram fighters on Wednesday attacked Chadian troops stationed in Gamboru, a border town in the north east, according to a Chadian military source, but the attack was repelled.
“The Boko Haram elements wanted to surprise us by attacking at about 4 am (0300 GMT). We were aware about it from the day before and were prepared,” the military source told AFP.
Gamboru is Nigeria’s border town with Cameroon. It is where Chadian troops are deployed to help Nigeria in fighting terrorist group Boko Haram.
“They arrived with 14 vehicles and two armoured vehicles. We repulsed them and they retreated,” the source said. “A helicopter was brought in to join the pursuit and destroy them,” the source added.
Nigeria’s recent success in its fight against Boko Haram has been partly due to the support it enjoys from the regional coalition set up to end insurgency in the country.
Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin had agreed to deploy 8,700 troops, police and civilians for a wider African Union-backed force against the terrorist group that has began its campaign of violence in 2009. Over 10,000 persons have been killed in several attacks by the insurgents.
