Gunmen attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria abducting more than 300 people, including women and children on Friday, local officials said.
The attack happened in the town of Ngoshe in Borno state, according to Bulama Sawa, an official from the Gwoza area. He told The AP news agency the attack was likely in retaliation for an operation by the military that killed three commanders of the terrorist Boko Haram group.
Separate attacks also took place in the communities of Konduga, Marte, Jakana, and Mainok between Wednesday and early Friday, according to a military spokesperson.
The spokesperson, Uba Sani, said the troops were able to repel the attacks on Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok, but “a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty," along with a senior officer. He did not elaborate on military casualtties.
Sani described the assaults as “failed attacks” and “increasing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure across the theatre.”
