As many as 2,000 may be dead in reported Boko Haram attack

More than 2,000 people are feared dead after a reported Boko Haram attack in northeastern Nigeria.

NBC News reports that Boko Haram has destroyed between 10 and 20 communities, according to a Borno state senator. "These towns are just gone, burned down," Ahmed Zanna told NBC News. "The whole area is covered in bodies... This is one of the worst attacks I've seen, because so many people are unaccounted for and feared dead."

Other residents have fled the towns under attack. The news comes after Boko Haram overtook a local military base on Saturday and razed the town of Baga. Meanwhile, the 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram last April are still missing.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up