RAMADAN HORROR: How Boko Haram Terrorists Slaughtered Imam, Worshippers, Abducted Women and Children in Ngoshe
Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists have killed a chief imam and several Muslim worshippers in Ngoshe community, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, during a brutal attack that occurred shortly after the breaking of the Ramadan fast on Wednesday evening.
PRNigeria gathered that the terrorists launched a coordinated assault on the border town, killing several residents including community elders and security personnel, while abducting more than 100 women and children in what local sources described as one of the most devastating attacks recorded in the area this year.
Sources said the attackers carried out the killings in an unusually brutal manner, reportedly using swords and long knives rather than firearms to slaughter many of their victims.
The insurgents first stormed a military position in the town before unleashing violence on the civilian population.
During the assault, the terrorists also attacked a military installation belonging to the 82 Division Task Force Battalion, setting ablaze armoured tanks and military vehicles and carting away an unconfirmed quantity of ammunition.
The attackers later stormed an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the community where they looted food supplies and other valuables before ransacking nearby settlements and surrounding bushes.
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“The attack was very devastating. The terrorists killed several people, including the chief imam and worshippers who had just finished breaking their fast,” a local source told PRNigeria.
The source added that the insurgents abducted numerous women and children during the raid before retreating into nearby forests and mountainous terrain.
The attack triggered mass displacement as frightened residents fled Ngoshe town to neighbouring Pulka community in search of safety.
“This attack is particularly painful because many refugees had just begun returning from Cameroon after years in exile,” another resident said.
PRNigeria gathered that the Nigerian military responded swiftly with coordinated counter-operations. The Nigerian Air Force reportedly carried out aerial bombardments on suspected terrorist hideouts, neutralising several fighters before ground troops moved in to restore order in the town.
Defence intelligence sources believe the attack may have been a reprisal by the insurgents following recent military offensives that led to the elimination of several terrorist commanders during ongoing operations across Sambisa Forest, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad axis.
The intensified operations by Nigerian troops and allied forces in recent weeks have placed significant pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP factions operating across the North-East theatre.
Meanwhile, security authorities are yet to release an official casualty figure as search-and-rescue operations continue in the affected area.
The latest assault underscores the persistent threat posed by insurgent groups in the region despite sustained military operations aimed at dismantling their operational networks.
By PRNigeria
