Boko Haram Kidnap Over 100 People in a Raid
Boko Haram is suspected to have kidnapped more than 100 women and children in a raid Sunday that left 35 dead, Reuters reported.
A security source said Thursday that Boko Haram conducted the raid in the remote northeast Nigerian village of Gumsuri.
Confirmation of who kidnapped the women have yet to be confirmed. However, Boko Haram abducted over 200 women in April just 15 miles from the recent raid making it easy to believe that the extremist group is responsible.
A resident from the remote neighborhood who heard what happened from family members but did not witness the raid, said that Boko Haram attacked Gumsuri with AK-47s and machine guns.
"They gathered the people, shot dead over 30 people and took away more than 100 women and children in two open-top trucks," Maina Chibok told Reuters.
Chibok added, "They also burned down a government medical center, houses and shops."
Boko Haram is a major threat to Nigeria. Its campaign for an Islamic States has killed thousands of people and kidnapped hundreds.
NBC News reported that there is no clear number of exactly how many women and children were kidnapped in Sunday's raid. Human Rights Watch has not confirmed the number of deaths but at this point, reports say 35 people were killed.
Boko Haram is well established in the north Cameroon border of Nigeria and is a major threat to the African nation's economy and top oil producer.
Recent attacks and those made in the past continue to raise questions about Nigeria's security forces ability to protect its civilians.
The nearly 200 girls that were kidnapped earlier this year from a boarding school were married off to commanders in Boko Haram, according to a video released by the group's leader. Boko Haram actual name means, "Western education is sinful."
The Defense Ministry said Thursday that 116 Boko Haram militants were killed by Cameroon's army in a recent attack.
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