Eight people were killed by suspected members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, who attacked Katarko town on the outskirts of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital on Monday night.
Katarko is 22 kilometres south of Damaturu and a community in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, which is the state’s stronghold of the Boko Haram insurgents.
Residents say the insurgents stormed the town around 7:30pm and first attacked the military base in the town before having access to some houses, killing eight residents in an attack that lasted for over seven hours, as soldiers fled for their lives.
A resident, Malam Garba, said soldiers guarding the bridge were outnumbered and outgunned by the militants.
During the violence, the insurgents blew off the Katarko Bridge linking Damaturu to their stronghold, Buni Yadi, the capital of Gujba Local Government Area.
The bridge, which connects Yobe and neighbouring Borno and Adamawa states, was the fifth blown up in the past three months.
Abbas Gava, a civilian security volunteer, said the road will now be impassable during the rainy season, further isolating areas that have been under constant attack for months.
