Islamic State claimed responsibility for an explosion that it said killed or injured 30 people at a market where alcohol was sold in Taraba State, Nigeria, marking an expansion of the area where the extremist group operates in the country. Northeast Nigeria, especially the states of Borno and Yobe, have been in the grip of Islamist insurgencies for over a decade, but Taraba, located at the eastern end of Nigeria’s Middle Belt central region, has not previously been attacked. The explosion took place on Tuesday in Iware, a rural town, and local police initially said three people were killed and … Continue reading Islamic State claims Nigeria bombing, says about 30 killed or hurt

Gunmen killed 15 Nigerian soldiers and wounded more than a dozen others during an attack on an army base in the northern state of Kaduna, two army sources said on Tuesday, in the latest attack on security forces by armed gangs.Nigerian Army soldiers are seen driving on a military vehicle in Nigeria. The gangs, designated as terrorists by the government, have caused havoc in northwest Nigeria by attacking villages, towns and schools and kidnapping hundreds of students. An army officer at the military base in the town of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna told Reuters that gunmen on motorbikes used rocket-propelled … Continue reading Gunmen kill 15 Nigerian soldiers in attack on military base

Gunmen have killed 19 security personnel, including 13 soldiers, in an assault in the northwest Nigerian state of Kebbi, a security source and residents said Wednesday. The battle erupted late Tuesday in Kanya, a village in Danko-Wasagu district, just a day after dozens of members of a self-defence militia were killed in the same area. At least 57 vigilantes were killed in nearby Sakaba on Monday in an ambush by heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as bandits. Hundreds of gunmen invaded Kanya, engaging a combined military and police detachment in a three-hour gun fight, the source and residents said. … Continue reading Gunmen in northwest Nigeria kill 19 security personnel

An estimated 200 people or more have been killed in villages in the northwestern Nigerian state of Zamfara during deadly reprisal attacks by armed bandits following military air strikes on their hideouts this week, residents said on Saturday.President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari. Residents gained access to the villages on Saturday after the military captured the communities to organise mass burials, they told Reuters. The state government said 58 people had been killed during the attacks. Ummaru Makeri, a resident who lost his wife and three children during the attack, said around 154 people had been buried including several vigilantes who … Continue reading Tragic: About 200 dead in attacks in northwest Nigeria

  Dozens of people have been killed in an attack by armed groups in Burkina Faso’s troubled north. The government announced that 41 people had died in the attack that took place on Thursday. In a statement released late on Saturday, the government said the dead included members of a government-backed civilian self-defence force known as the Volunteers for the Defence of the Motherland (VDP), set up to support the army. According to local media, the ambush targeted a convoy of traders escorted by VDP near Ouahigouya, a town not far from the Mali border. Among the victims was Ladji … Continue reading Tragic: 41 killed in attack by armed groups in Burkina Faso

At least 30 passengers on a bus in Nigeria’s Sokoto state were burnt to death when gunmen torched it on Tuesday, police and residents said, in yet another reminder of growing insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Gunmen, known locally as bandits, have in the past year carried out violent attacks targeting villagers and commuters travelling on highways and kidnapped hundreds of school children for ransom in the north of the country. Sanusi Abubakar, spokesman for the northwestern Borno state police, said the bus was carrying 24 passengers when it was set alight by armed men and that seven people … Continue reading OMG: Gunmen torch bus, kill 30 passengers in Nigeria’s Sokoto state

At least 14 civilians and one member of the security forces have died after Indian forces mistook a group of villagers for insurgents and opened fire. A local community leader, Nyamtow Konyak, said the civilians killed were coal miners. On Saturday, an investigation into the killings was launched by Nagaland state’s top official, Neiphiu Rio. In a tweet, he condemned the actions of the troops and passed on his condolences to bereaved families. An army officer, speaking anonymously, shared that the ambush had been planned for a week as intelligence indicated insurgents were planning to attack soldiers in the area, … Continue reading OMG: Indian army kills 14 after mistaking them for insurgents

A dissident former leader of Colombia’s Farc rebels has been killed in an ambush in Venezuela, local media reported on Sunday. Hernán Darío Velásquez, nicknamed El Paisa, was reportedly shot dead in Venezuela’s Apure state. His death has not been officially confirmed and the Colombian army said it had no knowledge of the killing. Local media have speculated that mercenaries may have killed Velásquez, seeking rewards for his capture. Colombian authorities told El Tiempo newspaper that it will not confirm his death until officials have seen his body. A spokesperson for Colombian president Iván Duque told Reuters news agency that his … Continue reading Colombian rebel commander ‘El Paisa’ killed in Venezuela

Officials in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa have called on residents to register their weapons and get ready to protect their neighbourhoods amid fears that rebels could advance on the city. The appeal came days after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said it had captured two cities about 400km (250 miles) from Addis Ababa. The federal government has declared a nationwide state of emergency. The US has urged the rebels not to try and take Addis Ababa. The capital has a population of more than five million. “We oppose any TPLF move to Addis or any TPLF move to besiege … Continue reading Ethiopia’s citizens urged to defend Addis Ababa against rebels

On July 17, armed men attacked a construction site in the southwest of the conflict-ridden country, making off with pick-up trucks and five hostages: three Chinese men and two Mauritanian nationals. The Mauritanians were freed 10 days later. But the remaining Chinese captives managed to stage a successful escape on Sunday, according to a Malian army statement. Ground and air forces then located the men the following day, in a joint operation whose success was aided by “anonymous people of good will”. The escaped hostages are in reasonable health, according to the army, which hailed their “bravery and pugnacity”. The operation comes … Continue reading Great: Three Chinese hostages in Mali rescued after escape

A gunman attacked a jail in Nigeria’s Oyo State late Friday, forcefully freeing some 800 inmates, the majority of which remained missing on Saturday, Reuters reported. Officials said the attackers used dynamite to explode the walls and enter through the prison yard after exchanging gunfire with prison officers, the news service reported. All but 64 convicts escaped in the attack, about 575 inmates were missing and 262 others had been recaptured, the prison service said on Saturday. All of the missing detainees were awaiting trial. “While all the awaiting trial detainees were forced out of custody, the cells housing the convicts and … Continue reading Nigerian gunmen storm prison, freeing 800 inmates

Nigerian security agents on Thursday rescued 187 people who had been abducted by armed gangs in the northwestern state of Zamfara, police said, after authorities launched a sweeping security operation against the kidnappers. Since December last year, Zamfara has been at the centre of often violent kidnappings by heavily armed bandits who have targeted schools, villages and people travelling on highways for ransom. The government last month shut telecommunication services in Zamfara. Mohammed Shehu, the police spokesman for Zamfara, said in a statement that the 187 people, including women and children, had been seized by kidnappers from four local government … Continue reading Great News: Nigeria rescues 187 people from kidnappers