Nigeria's Boko Haram attacked a Nigerian town of Damboa this week, setting ablaze homes and killing over 50 people in the area, authorities said.

More than 15,000 people have evacuated following the deadly assaults by the militants fighting the government for years in a bid to establish an Islamic state in Africa's biggest economy.

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The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Borno has recorded 15,204 people who fled Damboa and six other villages namely Kimba, Madaragrau, Mandafuma, Chikwar Kir, Bomburatai and Sabon Kwatta, NEMA spokesperson Abdulkair Ibrahim said.

The militants have hoisted their black flag over Damboa, a sign that they have now control of the key town, setting up checkpoints on the roads to charge motorists a toll fee, BBC reported, quoting a vigilante leader in the area.

But Nigerian government denied that group had taken over Damboa and the surrounding areas.

Defence spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade on Monday said the state security is intensifying its crack down on the militant. "We are not conceding any portion of this country to any terrorist group," he said.

The latest attack is another setback to the Nigerian government, which has been criticized for its apparent failure to stop the well-equipped militants, which had killed at least 2,053 civilians since the group started its lethal assaults in 2009, monitoring group Human Rights Watch reported.

The control of strategic town gave Boko Haram the freedom to move to other areas, with major highway linked to northern and southern districts of Borno and to borders Cameroon, Chad and Niger, Reuters reported.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful," drew international condemnation following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria this year. The schoolgirls, some are feared to have been killed, remain in captivity as of today.

The abducted schoolgirls are believed to be held in Sambisa forest, which could be traced through the roads of Damboa.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in 2013 in order to beef up its security to fight the Boko which has already affected the top oil-producing country in the past years.

TagsBoko Haram, Nigeria, Damboa Town