Cyber Monday Deal: Up to 60% off InvestingProCLAIM SALE

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kill four in road ambush in Nigeria's Borno state

Published 09/08/2015, 20:37
Updated 09/08/2015, 20:46
Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kill four in road ambush in Nigeria's Borno state

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed four people on Sunday in a road ambush in Nigeria's restive northeastern state of Borno, a military source and a civilian joint task force said.

A car carrying six people came under attack on the Damboa-Biu road near the remote village of Nwajurko at about 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT), the military source said.

The militant group, which has killed thousands of people during its six-year armed campaign to set up an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria, has carried out several attacks on the Damboa-Biu road in the last two years.

"Four of the passengers were shot dead by Boko Haram while two others who fled the ambush sustained injuries partly from gunshots," said the military source, who did not want to be named.

Adamu Mamman of the civilian JTF, a grassroots community security group, confirmed the four deaths.

"When we heard of the ambush ... we mobilised our men to go to the scene but unfortunately we saw four people already dead," he said.

Mamman said one of the survivors from the ambush had described how the attackers opened fire on the car when the driver tried to speed off.

Borno is the birthplace of the jihadi Boko Haram sect, which has killed more than 600 people in a series of raids and bombings since President Muhammadu Buhari took office on May 29, vowing to crush the militant group.

At the start of the year Boko Haram controlled territory about the size of Belgium in the northeast, but the army said it had pushed the group from most of that area in the last few months with the help of troops from Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

However, there has been a resurgence in attacks by the militants in recent weeks.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.