Jihadist Attacks in Nigeria Kill 28 in Northeast and Northwest

Jihadist Attacks in Nigeria Kill 28 in Northeast and Northwest
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Two separate attacks by jihadist groups in Nigeria have left at least 28 people dead, military sources and residents told AFP on Thursday. In the northeast, militants from the IS West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Malam Fatori, a border town near Niger, killing 11 people at a camp for internally displaced people, according to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). An anti-jihadist militia member said the attackers also burned a hospital and government buildings before withdrawing.

The MNJTF, comprising troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, continues to battle jihadist violence in the Lake Chad region, which has killed over 40,000 people and displaced millions over 16 years. Meanwhile, in the northwestern state of Sokoto, Lakurawa militants raided Kwallajiya village, killing 17 people preparing for prayers or working on farms. Residents believe the attack was in retaliation for the deaths of three jihadists during an earlier failed raid.

The assailants reportedly set fire to homes, farmlands, and telecom masts. Lakurawa fighters, who crossed into Nigeria from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso last year, have worsened insecurity in the northwest by staging deadly raids, rustling livestock, and enforcing strict Sharia law in areas under their control.