Boko Haram militants attack two villages, kill at least 30 people

Africa, News February 20, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Boko Haram terrorists have attacked two villages in northeastern Nigerian Borno state, killing at least 30 people.

The militants on Thursday (about 0100 GMT) stormed the villages of Thlaimakalama and Gatamarwa, some 15 kilometers from the town of Chibok, and set them on fire, according to Pogo Bitrus, head of the Chibok Elders Forum.

“From information coming in from residents of the two villages at least 30 people were killed in the attacks,” he said.

Luka Haruna, a Chibok resident, also gave the same death toll saying, “the two villages were completely destroyed.”

Chibok gained notoriety last April when Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from their secondary school.

Last Monday, the Boko Haram militants invaded two villages on their way as they fled the nearby town of Askira Uba.

“The insurgents mowed everything in sight as they fled Askira Uba and these two villages which they passed through became targets,” Bitrus said, adding, “They opened fire on residents and set houses on fire as they drove in a huge convoy.”

The Nigerian army announced on Thursday that its fighter jets had bombarded Boko Haram’s stronghold in the forest.

The photo taken on February 13, 2015 shows the Nigerian village Nougboua after it was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists. (AFP photo)

In the face of military operations by the Nigerian army, the Boko Haram militants have fled towards Gwoza, on the border with Cameroon, and the nearby Sambisa Forest, where militants have camps.

Boko Haram militants took control of Gwoza in June 2014 and set up their base in the town. They further declared it part of their so-called Islamic caliphate.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.

The violence fueled by Boko Haram militants, starting in 2009, has killed at least 13,000 people and rendered more than a million others homeless.

MAK/KA/SS