Boko Haram militants on Tuesday killed six people in the northeastern Borno state of Nigeria in what is reported to be a targeted reprisal attack.
A militia fighting the group told AFP that nine Boko Haram fighters entered Kijimatari, a village breaking into the homes of residents.
The militants killed their victims including the chief of the village by slitting their throats.
The Punch in Nigeria quoted Ibrahim Liman, the head of a local anti-jihadist militia force as saying “The attackers evaded a nearby military checkpoint by entering the village through bush paths.”
“The chief of the village was among the victims and it was clear the victims were deliberately targeted,” he added.
A local resident was also quoted as saying that the attackers carried guns but “chose to use knives” to avoid alerting soldiers manning a nearby checkpoint.
Locals claim the killings were a reprisal for the arrest of two Boko Haram members two months earlier.
“We believe the attackers suspected the six people they killed of tipping off the military which led to the arrest of the two Boko Haram fighters,” he said.
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has stressed his government’s resolve to combat the militant group, Boko Haram which is wreaking havoc in Nigeria and neighboring countries.
Source: Africafeeds.com
