Abuja, Sep 20 (IANS): Nigeria's militant sect of Boko Haram clashed with security forces Friday near the quarters of lawmakers in the capital Abuja.
The militants attacked security personnel early in the morning near the living quarters of lawmakers in the city, where similar assaults by Boko Haram were rarely reported in the past years, Xinhua reported citing an official statement.
The Nigerian security services said several people were injured in the shootout and a dozen suspects arrested in connection with the attack.
The Boko Haram, based in northeastern Nigeria, seeks to enshrine the Islamic sharia law in the constitution and has declared war against Western education.
Since its insurgency hit the headlines in 2009, its attacks and clashes with the security forces have led to thousands of casualties in the West African country.