The radical Islamic militant group Boko Haram may have killed as many as 2,000 people during a series of raids on villages in Northern Nigeria. Amnesty International claimed it may be the “deadliest massacre” in the history of the terror group. Many of the victims are said to be women, children and elderly residents who could not flee fast enough. On Saturday, militants from Boko Haram took over a local military base, and have since stormed nearby areas, slaughtering residents before burning the communities to the ground.
A counterterrorism official told NBC that the estimated death toll of 2,000 “may not be that far off.” Even those who managed to escape the initial attacks are in grave danger. From NBC, “Many survivors fled into the nearby waters of Lake Chad, where some drowned and where others remain marooned on small islands, menaced by hippos.” A spokesperson from the Nigerian government claimed in a statement, “Security forces have responded rapidly, and have deployed significant military assets and conducted airstrikes against militant targets” …
