Nigeria, March 11 -- The insurgents, said to be heavily armed and in large numbers, stormed the town at about 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, firing sporadically as they advanced toward a military base located in the area.

According to a security source who spoke to The News Chronicle on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, troops of the Nigerian Army engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle that lasted for approximately three hours.

The troops were eventually able to repel the insurgents after intense exchanges of gunfire.

However, the source confirmed that one soldier was killed in action, while five civilians sustained varying degrees of injuries during the confrontation and are currently receiving med...