Several explosions were reported on Monday evening in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, sending residents into panic across different parts of the city.

According to Vanguard, sources within the city said the blasts occurred between about 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with loud sounds heard in multiple locations, raising fears of a possible security incident.

Residents said the explosions were heard around major areas of the city, including the popular Monday Market, Kaleri, the Post Office area and the vicinity of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Witnesses described the blasts as loud and sudden, causing widespread fear among people in the affected neighbourhoods.

Some residents reportedly abandoned their activities and hurriedly left the area in search of safety.

The situation reportedly created tension in parts of the city as residents attempted to confirm the cause of the blasts.

The security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled attempted terrorist attacks on Azir Bridge and Banki in Borno State, the military said on Friday, March 13.

The Joint Task Force disclosed that the attacks occurred in the early hours of Friday when insurgents advanced in large numbers towards troops’ positions in the two locations.

According to reports, this was contained in a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Lt. Col. Sani Uba.

According to the statement, the terrorists launched coordinated assaults on troops stationed at Azir Bridge in Sector 2 and Banki in Sector 1 of the theatre of operations.

However, the attackers reportedly met stiff resistance from soldiers who were on high alert.

“The terrorists, who advanced in large numbers in a desperate attempt to overrun the locations, were met with swift and overwhelming resistance from vigilant troops,” the statement said.

The military noted that the troops responded with coordinated counter-attacks which disrupted the insurgents’ formation and forced them to retreat.

The military also revealed that air support played a crucial role in repelling the attacks.

According to the statement, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai carried out close air support operations, which significantly weakened the insurgents’ offensive.