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Boko Haram Launches New Deadly Attack on Key Nigeria City Maiduguri

© AFP 2023 / TUNJI OMIRINMaiduguri residents in Konduga
Maiduguri residents in Konduga - Sputnik International
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On Sunday Boko Haram stormed the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri which has sparked a severe battle with governmemt troops, witnesses said.

Soldiers of the Chadian army - Sputnik International
Africa
Chad, Cameroon Launch Strike on Boko Haram in Nigerian Border Town
MOSCOW, February 1 (Sputnik) — Boko Haram fighters on Sunday stormed Nigerian Maiduguri, which resulted in a long battle with troops for gaining control over the vitally important Borno state capital, AFP reports.

Four locals told AFP by telephone that the assault started  at roughly 3:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT). 

"The whole city is in fear," resident Adam Krenuwa told the agency adding that people are scared of what might happen if Boko Haram actually wins that fight with the security forces.

Boko Haram is a militant group, which aims at establishing an Islamic state in northern Nigeria. Large swathes of land in the Borno State, as well as in neighboring Adamawa and Yobe are believed to be under control of the Islamists. The Boko Haram insurgency has left over 13,000 people dead since 2009.

Maiduguri residents gather on September 16, 2014 around an armored personnel carrier (APC) recovered by the army from Boko Haram insurgents in Konduga - Sputnik International
Africa
Boko Haram Onslaught Continues, Despite Army Resistance
The Nigerian army launched an operation against the group in 2013, but the effort has stalled, although a national security advisor previously told BBC the country doesn't believe that there is a need for help from UN or African Union troops. Boko Haram continue attacking targets within the country as it prepares for national elections on February 14.

In October 2014, the leaders of Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon announced plans to step up the fight against Boko Haram with an additional battalion and a command center to tackle the group, and Chad began its operation in mid-January. Chad is considered impacted by this conflict not only because it is harmed by Boko Haram, but also because it faces a dire humanitarian situation as refugees flee to the country as Boko Haram's influence spreads in Nigeria.

On January 4, Boko Haram militants captured the town of Baga in Borno State, reportedly killing hundreds. "The human carnage perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga was enormous," Muhammad Abba Gava, a spokesman for a local defense group that fights militants, told the Associated Press. Reports emerged that approximately 2,000 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, were killed, according to Amnesty International.

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