Boko Haram guns down 97 at mosques in Nigeria

Boko Haram Flag
(Image credit: STEPHANE YAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Boko Haram extremists disrupted a peaceful night of prayer on Wednesday when they gunned down nearly 100 Muslims in mosques in the northeastern Nigerian town of Kukawa. A government official and a self-defense fighter reported that 97 people, most of whom were men, were killed in the Wednesday night incident as they prayed ahead of breaking fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

While it remains unclear exactly how many mosques were attacked, a senior government official told The Associated Press that the attacks affected several of the town's mosques. Spokesmen are also reporting that the militants broke into homes, killing women and children. Boko Haram attacks on mosques are unfortunately not all that uncommon, as the extremist group considers mosque-goers to be too moderate.

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