Deadliest Islamist Assault Since Christmas Air Strikes Kills 25 in Nigeria’s Borno State

email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Borno: At least 25 people were killed on Thursday when suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria, in what officials and residents described as the deadliest reported Islamist assault since U.S. air strikes ordered on Christmas Day.

The attack occurred in Sabon Gari, a town in Borno State, where gunmen stormed a construction site and opened fire on labourers who had travelled from other areas in search of work, relatives of the victims told Reuters.

“The attackers arrived suddenly and began shooting,” said Hassan Usman and Auwal Isa, both of whom lost family members in the assault.

Aliyu Ndume, a senator representing the region, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the killings and urged authorities to strengthen security measures to better protect civilians.

In a separate incident the same day, suspected militants launched a pre-dawn attack on a military base elsewhere in Borno State, killing at least nine soldiers and two members of a civilian task force supporting the army. Sixteen others were wounded, according to security sources.

Borno State remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s 17-year Islamist insurgency, with Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), escalating attacks on both military convoys and civilian targets.

Nigeria is facing increased pressure to restore security following U.S. air strikes on December 25, which Washington said targeted militant positions. The strikes came after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to adequately protect Christian communities.

Nigerian authorities have said they are cooperating with the United States to bolster counterterrorism efforts and improve security across the region.