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              Militants Assault Army Barracks in Northern Nigeria

   by VOA News

   Suspected Islamist militants have attacked an army barracks in the
   northeastern Nigerian town of Maiduguri.
   Witnesses say gunmen stormed the Giwa military barracks Friday morning,
   setting off a fierce exchange of gunfire with soldiers.
   Sounds of shooting and explosions began shortly after 7:00 a.m. local
   time and continued throughout the morning.
   Nigerian media outlets report that at least some of the attackers came
   dressed in military uniforms.
   There was no immediate claim of responsibility or reports on
   casualties.
   ''Maiduguri is the home city of the radical sect Boko Haram, which is
   blamed for thousands of deaths since 2009 in attacks on churches,
   mosques, schools, markets and government facilities.
   Efforts by the Nigerian military to stamp out the group have not
   stopped the violence.
   Boko Haram said it is fighting to create a strict Islamic state in the
   mainly Muslim north of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
   
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/militants-assault-army-barracks-in-northern-nigeria/1870993.html