In a bid to recapture Bama, Borno State, from Boko Haram, the Nigerian military has deployed warplanes to flush out the insurgents.
Residents have been fleeing for safety as the sect started unleashing terror on Monday.
Military authorities initially denied reports that the town, which is the second biggest in Borno State, had been captured by the insurgents but have now deployed full might to dislodge them.
Reuters quoted a senior military official as saying air strikes had also been launched against Boko Haram’s bases across the state.
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“Bama today is the centre of the military battle with the terrorists… Boko Haram is being repelled by the Nigerian troops as we are talking now,” he said.
This claim was confirmed by a resident of Maiduguri, the state capital which is some 70 kilometres from Bama, who told TheCable that planes were seen flying towards the direction of the town.
He further said that despite assurances from the government, there was tension among residents that the sect could overrun the capital city.
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