Boko Haram kills dozens in ‘house to house’ attack in Nigeria’s northeast, residents say

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MAIDUGURI (Reuters) -Boko Haram militants killed more than 60 people, including seven soldiers, in a nighttime assault on a village in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State to which people had returned only last month following years of displacement, residents told Reuters.

Nigeria’s military says it has stepped up counterinsurgency operations in recent months in Borno state to try to contain militias as well as militants from Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Analysts and residents say the operations have failed to stem attacks. Northwest Nigeria has also been plagued by violence.

The attack on Darul Jamal, near Banki in the Bama local government area, occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, when armed fighters stormed the community, shooting indiscriminately and setting homes ablaze.

Babagana Mala, a resident who fled with soldiers to Bama town, about 46 km (29 miles) away, said Darul Jamal had been resettled last month after years of displacement.

“We had been warning the military for three days about Boko Haram gathering near our town, but no action was taken,” he said. “They overwhelmed the soldiers, who fled with us to Bama.”

Mala said 63 people were killed, including seven soldiers and several people who had returned from a camp for internally displaced persons in Bama.

The traditional head of Darul Jamal, who requested anonymity, said 70 bodies had been recovered by Saturday morning, with more residents still missing in the surrounding bush. “They went house to house, killing men and leaving women behind. Almost every household is affected,” he said, sobbing.

Governor Babagana Zulum visited the area on Saturday to assess the damage and console survivors, a security source confirmed to Reuters.

Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso declined to comment on the attack. Reuters was unable to reach Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s military counterinsurgency campaign.

The head of Darul Jamal added that more than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed. Among the dead were seven drivers and six labourers from Bama and the city of Maiduguri, who had been working on reconstruction efforts in the town, he said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi, Writing by Ben Ezeamalu; Editing by Aidan Lewis)