According to reports from the region, more than 200 individuals were killed in the latest face-off between the Nigerian military and Boko Haram militants in the northern part of the country. The battle comes as Secretary of State John Kerry visited the capital city, urging officials to ensure that the nation’s upcoming elections will be peaceful and fair. Kerry visited with both candidates and told the leaders that the U.S. would offer more help in the fight against the brutal terrorist group if the democratic elections remained “credible, transparent and accountable.” Though many of the deaths in the latest attacks were Boko Haram fighters, according to The Guardian, the militants specifically targeted innocent civilians: “Survivors reported that the rebels rampaged through villages slitting throats of residents, looting and burning homes and abducting dozens of trapped women and children” …
