Boko Haram gunmen killed at least 100 people and set dozens of homes ablaze, after capturing the northeastern Nigerian town of Damboa on Saturday.
As per local reports, the attacks started on Friday and by Saturday morning, Boko Haram militants secured the perimeters of the town, following which they hoisted their black and white flag.
In the meantime, thousands of residents of Askira Uba, another north-eastern area, are fleeing after receiving threats from Boko Haram of an impending attack to take over the villages, Abbas Gava, a spokesman for the Nigerian Vigilante Group said.
Survivors said that the insurgents invaded the town firing rocket-propelled grenades and threw homemade bombs into homes, while indiscriminately firing at the fleeing villagers.
The militants are also said to have cut-off all access to the roads connecting the town from South by blowing up a bridge. Damboa is located on the highway from Maiduguri, which is the Borno state capital.
The villagers now fear a counter attack by the Nigerian army to claim back Damboa.
"We have to massively flee the town so as not to be caught in the crossfire for we are anticipating the army to try to reclaim the town from the terrorists," a resident told Nigerian daily This Day.
The Nigerian army reportedly used to have a base in Damboa, but Boko Haram insurgents had destroyed the barracks and bunks in the town.
However, the Nigerian police claims that the militants are inching towards their end and these attacks are their acts of desperation.
Nigeria Police Spokesman, Frank Mba told Daily Independent that the "likely upsurge in attacks from terror groups like Boko Haram is a sign of desperation, which he said is rising from the fact that terrorists are being choked out of their comfort zone by the combined efforts of the military, police and international assistance."
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful," has increased its attacks in the country. In 2014, the Islamic militant group is claimed to have killed at least 2,000 people in the country. In April, it kidnapped over 200 Chibok girls, who still have not been traced by the Goodluck Jonathan government.
