There was a massive battle between the Boko Haram insurgents and the Nigerian troops for Damboa on Wednesday.

Before Wednesday, the insurgents were said to have written to the town that they should be expected to overtake it.

The insurgents from the look of things were prepared as they brought about 30 gun trucks to invade the town, in the southern part of troubled Borno State.

They however met their match in the military/Civilian JTF alliance, who came down heavily on them.

Sources in Damboa said the military and the Civilian JTF have marshaled a watertight strategic plan for the audacious insurgents.

The source said though the insurgents were heavily armed but there undoing was the lack of surprise as their letter had made the reactionary force of the military and Civilian JTF prepared.

Sources said though the insurgents who attacked the town at about 5am initially had an edge pushing back the equally battle ready soldiers and Civilian JTF, but the advantage swung when the air reinforcement came down heavily on the insurgents.

The sources said they had to retrieve when the battleground was too hot for them with many casualties suffered.

Speaking to our correspondent on phone, a reliable security source who does not want his name mentioned, said the attack was massive but “we are grateful to God that the military was able to withstand and repelled the insurgents.”

He said the insurgents attacked Damboa between 5 and 6am and exchanged gunfire with the military and the Civilian JTF.

He said though few men of the Civilian JTF were lost but the insurgents suffered heavily and had to flee back into the bushes.

He disclosed that three gun trucks among those brought by the insurgents were destroyed and 18 were seized.

He added that about 40 people both combatants and non-combatants were injured in the attack.

All attempts to get confirmation from the military were unsuccessful as calls to the phone of the spokesman of Operation Lafiya Dole (the military counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast), Col. Isa Ado were not picked.