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| - Dozens of Islamic State-linked jihadists launched a new offensive on the northeast Nigerian town of Damasak on Tuesday, just days after the militants burnt aid facilities in an attack on the town, residents and security sources told AFP. Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed Damasak on the border with Niger around 1700 GMT in several trucks mounted with machine guns, attacking the military base and a military post, leading to a heavy gun battle, the sources said. Damasak has repeatedly been targeted by militants who have made several failed attempts to overrun a military outpost there as part of the country's more than decade-long jihadist war. On Saturday, militants attacked the town, burning several aid facilities including the United Nations humanitarian hub housing several international agencies. At least four people, including a soldier, were killed in that attack, the sources said. On Tuesday, militants attacked the town again from three directions, a military source said. "One group attacked the military base, prompting troops to return fire, while the second group attacked a military position on the outskirts and succeeded in dislodging soldiers there," said the military officer. A third group "infiltrated" the town from the north and set fire to the divisional police station, said the military source. Unable to overrun the military base, the jihadists retreated and entered the town, shooting sporadically while locals shut themselves indoors. "Currently, they are around the Maiduguri Road roundabout without being challenged by soldiers who have remained in their base," a resident said. "Everybody is indoors. All we hear are gunshots and shouts from the insurgents," said the resident who asked not to be identified. On Monday rumours of an impending attack spread around the town after the jihadists were sighted in several gun trucks in Geidam Chukun village, four kilometers from Damasak, residents said. The sighting prompted many to flee towards the regional capital Maiduguri and across the border to Diffa in neighbouring Niger, according to several residents. ISWAP, which split from the jihadist group Boko Haram in 2016, has become a dominant threat in Nigeria, attacking soldiers and bases while killing and kidnapping travellers at bogus checkpoints. Due to worsening security, humanitarian workers in Nigeria are struggling to provide aid, with the number of people requiring urgent assistance forecast to rise to 8.7 million this year. Nigeria's 12-year-oldconflict has left at least 36,000 people dead and forced around two million more to flee their homes. abu/pma/bp
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