In an attack possibly by an Islamic State splinter group, an estimated 69 civilians, including children, were killed in an attack Tuesday on a Nigerian village.
Gunmen attacked the village of Faduma Koloram, in the Gubio district of Borno state, shooting residents, stealing cattle and camels and razing the village to the ground, according to Vatican News and other outlets.
The surprise attack left villagers with nowhere to hide and no possibility to escape.
Vatican News said the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) a splinter faction that broke away from Boko Haram in 2016, is suspected of the attack. The group has been blamed in recent months for an increase in attacks on civilians.
However, the BBC quoted a security analyst as saying that since civilians were targeted, the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram tactics. Bulama Bukarti said that if ISWAP was behind the attack it would mark a significant shift in the way they operate: it doesn’t usually target civilians unless they are working with Western aid agencies, or it suspects them of providing information to the Nigerian army.
Reuters said the militants suspected villagers of sharing information about their movements with security forces.
The death toll was unclear, with Agence France-Presse reporting 59 and Reuters saying 69.
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