At Least 185 Feared Dead In Clash Between Soldiers And Boko Haram
Lawan Kole, a local government official in Baga, told Borno state officials on a visit Sunday that the killings started Friday night and went on for hours. Kole told state officials that at least 185 bodies had been buried even as people continued to search for the dead.
Brig. Gen. Austin Edokpaye told officials that the sect members used heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Edokpaye said the insurgents used civilians as human shields during the fighting — implying that soldiers opened fire in neighborhoods where they knew civilians lived.
This recent conflict is coming at a time the Nigerian government announced its intention to grant amnesty to members of the sect who have been responsible for a spate of bloody insurgent attacks since 2010.