The jihadist group Boko Haram has killed more than 60 people in an overnight attack in Nigeria's north-eastern Borno State, local officials say.
On Friday night, militants struck the village of Darul Jamal, home to a military base on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, killing at least five soldiers.
The Nigerian Air Force reported that they killed 30 militants in strikes following reports of the raid on the village, where residents had recently returned after years of displacement.
This attack comes amid a worrying resurgence of jihadist violence in northeastern Nigeria, with Boko Haram and its rival, the West African branch of the Islamic State, intensifying their offensive operations.
Reports indicate that more than 20 houses and 10 vehicles were destroyed during the assault, with 13 drivers and laborers killed, who had been involved in reconstruction efforts. Visiting the village, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum expressed deep concern over the tragedy, noting the community had only recently begun to rebuild and resume normalcy.
The governor lamented that the Nigerian army lacks the necessary strength to effectively counter such attacks and mentioned the introduction of a new security force, called the Forest Guards, that aims to enhance safety in the beleaguered region.
Following the attack, the Nigerian Air Force's spokesperson stated that surveillance detected militants fleeing from the scene and that they conducted a series of strikes in pursuit, neutralizing over 30 insurgents.
This incident exemplifies the ongoing challenges faced by the Nigerian military in combating militant threats, particularly after neighboring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional coalition tasked with addressing these jihadist forces.
Boko Haram's notoriety escalated when it kidnapped over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014, and the group has continued to be a significant threat, contributing to more than 15 years of conflict that has displaced millions and claimed tens of thousands of lives.
