Nigerian Troops Save One City In Borno from Boko Haram, But Another Seized By The Deadly Group.

The Nigerian Armed forces fought off Boko Haram militants in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, military officials said Monday, but the extremists seized another town in the same state.

Hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen launched a predawn attack Sunday on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.


Soldiers repelled the attacks, and officials have since eased a curfew imposed as a result, said Col. Sani Usman, a military spokesman.

But a simultaneous attack on nearby Monguno town was a different story.

The Islamist militants captured the town, together with its military barracks, a Nigerian military officer said.

Its unclear how many people were wounded or killed during the battle for the two cities.

"Our soldiers initially repelled the terrorists but they mobilized more fighters and came back in full force. They overwhelmed our troops and forced them to retreat," the military officer said. He asked not to be named because he's not authorized to speak to the media.

Monguno is about 135 kilometers (85 miles) from Maiduguri. The former has a population of 100,000 while Maiduguri has about 600,000.

Both cities are near the Chad and Cameroon borders, which would give the militants an entry point into those countries.

Monguno and its military post served as a buffer to keep the militants away from Maiduguri. Its fall leaves Maiduguri vulnerable and puts the extremists in a better position to seize the city.