Friday, March 07, 2014

Katherine Weber: Boko Haram Militant Group Kills 150 In Nigeria's Northeastern State; Causes Military to Flee


The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has stepped up its attack efforts in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, reportedly killing 150 people over the weekend. A senator from Borno state said this week that the violence has become so unmanageable that soldiers flee with villagers when the militants arrive, as they are outnumbered and lack proper weapons to fight the militants.

The intense violence took place over the weekend, when Boko Haram militants swarmed three cities in the Borno state, killing a reported total of 150 from Friday to Sunday. Although Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has allowed the military extra power to curb the extremist group, recent reports indicate that Boko Haram's numbers have been too large for local military to sustain.

Ahmad Zannah, a senator from Borno state, told BBC earlier this week that when Boko Haram militants arrived in Borno over the weekend, military personnel fled along with the villagers because there was not enough manpower to fight the militants. "When the attack took place, all of them ran away, along with the villagers. There was no resistance."

Along with Mafa, militants focused their weekend attacks on the villages of Maiduguri and Mainok, also located in the Borno state. The attackers reportedly used grenade launchers, assault rifles, and bombs to attack densely populated villages in the state. Keep reading

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