Nigeria, Feb. 20 -- Nigerian soldiers on Friday repelled an attack by insurgents on Dikwa, a local government in Borno State, sources said.

The attack started late Friday evening and lasted for over three hours, forcing residents to seek refuge in the bush.

Dikwa is about 86km Northeast of Maiduguri, the state capital. Security sources informed PREMIUM TIMES that a large group of gunmen believed to be members of ISWAP, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, invaded the community, armed with gun trucks.

The attack comes four days after another attack on a military base in Marte, a remote border community located 40km north of Dikwa. At least seven soldiers were reportedly killed in that attack.

"It was a massive attack, but the soldiers on...