At least 14 people were killed in an attack by suspected terrorists who attacked a community in Borno, one of the restive states in Nigeria’s northern region, local authorities said Tuesday.
The terrorists, suspected to be members of the outlawed Boko Haram group, stormed the Chibok community during a third-day prayer for a late district leader Monday evening, shooting indiscriminately and instantly killing seven mourners, Modu Mustapha, head of the Chibok local government area of Borno, told reporters.
Seven more bodies were recovered Tuesday as local volunteers combed the surroundings in search of casualties. Many others sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries during the violence, which, according to Mustapha, had the trappings of Boko Haram attacks. Several houses were set ablaze during the attack.
The local government official said more casualties might be recovered, as volunteers continue to search for more bodies.
Boko Haram has been collaborating with its sister group, Islamic State West Africa Province, in an attempt to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terror groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin.
On April 29, dozens of people were reportedly killed after a truck carrying food items and passengers hit an explosive device in a town in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno, security sources said Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Monday when the truck travelling along Gamboru Ngala, a town linking Nigeria with neighbouring Cameroon and Chad, hit an improvised explosive device planted along the road, resulting in casualties, including children, a senior security officer, who asked to be anonymous due to not being authorized to speak on the development, told Xinhua over the phone.
“More than 26 people were killed, and at least five were injured. Some of them were seriously burned in the blast,” the security source said, noting that the casualties, mainly passengers, passersby, and residents, were trapped in a fire that erupted following the blast.
Neither the government nor security agencies have commented officially on the incident, but a senior police officer told Xinhua that an investigation is underway.