Several killed in Boko Haram attacks on four villages in Borno

Suspected Boko Haram militants have launched a series of attacks on four villages in Borno State, killing several people, residents said Sunday. The attacks hit the villages of Nuwari, Musari, Walori on Saturday, where gunmen, some dressed as soldiers and riding in 4×4 trucks, opened fire on civilians and razed much of the area, according to multiple witness accounts. “They burnt all the villages and took away all our livestock,” said Nuwari resident Bunu Kaloma, providing details reported by other witnesses. He said 15 people were killed in the spate of attacks but there were conflicting reports and it was not possible to establish a concrete death toll. Separately on Thursday, gunmen reportedly attacked a wedding in nearby Kolma village. “They came in after dark while a wedding party was going on and went on shooting and tossing explosives into homes,” said area resident Bukar Mustapha. All of the targeted villages are in the Gamboru Ngala district near the border with Cameroon, where Boko Haram killed hundreds in a gruesome attack earlier this month. The area is part of Borno state, the hardest hit region during Boko Haram’s five-year extremist uprising, which has killed thousands.