Over dozen killed in Boko Haram rocket attacks in northeastern Nigeria
Boko Haram rocket attacks have killed thirteen people in a residential area of the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri.
The rocket-propelled grenade attacks in the capital and the largest city of the restive Borno State have destroyed a number of houses, as well.
Local resident, Idrissa Mandara, said, “Eight persons were killed in my compound. Five died instantly and three died at the hospital. We also have five others that have been buried after they were found dead in their homes.”
He added that the dead casualties included five children and two women.
Mari Madu, another local resident, said he had heard and counted at least 40 explosions, which began shortly after midnight, before he lost count of the blasts.
“Each time they fired into the town, we saw bright sparkling flashes which moved with great speed... One of the blasts shook my roof so badly that I thought it must have landed on my house,” Madu said.
Maiduguri, with a swelling population of two million people, is facing a heavy influx of refugees.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the region have fled their homes in the past years, fearing Boko Haram atrocities.
Some 13,000 people have reportedly been killed by the militant group since it started its terror campaign six years ago.
A multinational force comprising of armed forces from regional nations has reduced the sphere of influence of the extremists; however, the group continues to carry out bombings and hit-and-run attacks in the region.
At present, Boko Haram militants are said to be holed up in the Sambisa Forest, 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Maiduguri.
Nigeria’s new President Muhammadu Buhari has announced his plan to shift the headquarters of the war against the terrorist group to Maiduguri, promising to eradicate the terrorist group.
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