Two humanitarian workers and three residents told Reuters that “fighters armed with heavy weaponry including rocket launchers arrived in Monguno, a hub for international non-governmental organisations, at roughly 11 am.”

The fighters then overran government forces, taking some casualties but killing at least twenty soldiers and roaming the area for three hours. The sources said that “hundreds of civilians were injured in the crossfire, overwhelming the local hospital and forcing some of the injured to lie outside the facility awaiting help. The fighters also burned down the United Nations’ humanitarian hub in the area and set fire to the local police station”.

Fighters distributed letters to residents, in the local Hausa language, warning them not to work with the military or international aid groups. They also entered Nganzai at about the same time on Saturday, according to two residents and one Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) fighter. A source said the following, “They arrived on motorcycles and in pick-up trucks and killed more than forty residents.”

ISWAP claimed responsibility for the two Saturday attacks as well as the Gubio attack.

Source: persecution.org

Image: thedefensepost.com