A vigilante group is claiming to have killed 150 suspected Boko Haram fighters in a surprise assault.
The assault is a rare victory against Boko Haram, the Islamist terrorist group that over the past six years has claimed over 20,000 lives in Nigeria and neighboring countries. The Nigerian military has pledged to subdue the extremists, assembling with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon a transnational task force of nearly 9,000 soldiers to fight them.
Civilians who participated in Tuesday night’s assault said they acted on intelligence that Boko Haram was planning a major attack, but failed to disclose additional details. One fighter said that they successfully raided the group’s arsenal of guns and explosives.
So far there’s been no official word. But if it’s confirmed, this would rank as one of the biggest blows inflicted on Boko Haram in recent months.
