Nigeria: more than 50 dead in two jihadist attacks in Borno state

Nigerian army soldiers on patrol in Borno state (illustration image) STEFAN HEUNIS / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Two communities in northeastern Nigeria were killed by a group of jihadists from the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap) on Saturday. At least 38 people were killed in an isolated village in the northeast and a few hours later, at least 15 others were killed in a locality hosting a military base and a camp for the displaced.

Publicity

Read more

The first attack took place in the isolated village of Goni Usmanti. Armed men aboard pickups equipped with heavy weapons clashed with a government-supported self-defense militia, which soon found itself outnumbered. Then they shot people fleeing the village, according to Agence France-Presse, citing residents.

At least 38 people have been killed in this way. According to a resident of the village contacted by AFP, the jihadists burnt down a vehicle that had several people on board. Only two passengers managed to escape, according to the same testimony.

The same group then headed for the city of Monguno, about 60 kilometers away, where they entered late morning from two sides, according to a UN statement. They were then stopped by the Nigerian military barracks in the city and the fighting lasted two hours, according to the same source.

The jihadists reached a closed humanitarian base where tens of thousands of displaced people live, setting fire to all UN and NGO vehicles parked outside the compound, which they ultimately did not enter.

At least fifteen people were killed there, including nine soldiers. This has not been confirmed by the Nigerian army. The latter preferred to congratulate herself on Sunday for having " victoriously  " repelled  the attack on Monguno by killing, according to her statements, 20 jihadist fighters.

The city of Monguno had already been attacked in the past by this ISIS faction in West Africa , which split in 2016 from the Boko Haram group. On June 10, another village in the region was also attacked by the same group. 81 people were then counted dead.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Nigeria
  • Terrorism

On the same subject

Fear of organized crime in Nigeria linked to terrorism

Nigeria: at least 50 dead in new jihadist attack

Repeated violence against women in Nigeria no longer passes