Boko Haram militants kill at least 65 in northeast Nigeria: State TV

At least 65 people died in an attack by suspected Takfiris on a group returning from a funeral in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno region, state television reported on Sunday

At least 65 people died in an attack by suspected Takfiris on a group returning from a funeral in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno region, state television reported on Sunday (July 28), one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in recent years.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Boko Haram group and rival Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) splinter group have often carried out attacks in the area.

Local government chairman Mohammed Bulama was quoted as saying on state television that the assailants killed 21 people returning from the funeral on Saturday and another 44 people when they tried to regroup to defend themselves. Others were injured, he said, meaning the death toll may rise.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday condemned the attack and directed the military to hunt down the perpetrators, a statement from the presidential office said.

Borno state is the epicenter of the Boko Haram and ISWA insurgency.