20 killed, 1,000 displaced in Nigeria militant attack
Thursday January 09 2020
A map showing Borno state and its capital Maiduguri, in northeastern Nigeria. About 20 soldiers were killed and nearly 1,000 people made homeless when militants attacked a town in the area. PHOTO | GOOGLE MAPS
Maiduguri,
About 20 soldiers were killed and nearly 1,000 people made homeless in a militant attack on a town in northeastern Nigeria, two residents and a military source said on Wednesday.
The militants entered Monguno in Borno state posing as a convoy of soldiers on the evening of January 7, sources said. They then attacked troops already inside the town, destroying at least 750 homes in the process.
Resident Gumati Sadu said people fled into the bush for safety during the fighting and three civilians were killed by stray bullets.
A military spokesman declined comment.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
A decade-long insurgency campaign by Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from Boko Haram in 2016, has since staged its own frequent attacks in the region.
Thousands in Monguno had already been displaced from their homes elsewhere in Borno state by militants. Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres warned last year that many thousands in Monguno lacked proper shelter, water, sanitation and food.