Fifteen killed in northeast Nigeria jihadist attack

Friday 01 August 2025 - 16:30

Fifteen civilians, including farmers and children, were killed on Thursday in northeastern Nigeria in a brutal jihadist attack followed by a deadly landmine explosion, local anti-jihadist militia sources told AFP.

The attack took place near the village of Gurnowa, close to the garrison town of Monguno in Borno State. Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) opened fire on a group of farmers and children traveling in an open truck and on a motorcycle. As the assailants retreated, a woman and her three children were killed when their cart hit a landmine reportedly planted by the jihadists.

“Our team recovered eleven bodies and transported them to Monguno,” said Babakura Kolo, a militia leader assisting the Nigerian army. “Another unit went to retrieve the woman and her three children.” According to Kolo and another militia member, Ibrahim Liman, the victims were returning from their fields when the ambush occurred. The attackers reportedly fled with the victims' vehicle and motorcycle.

“The mother and her children had been fleeing after hearing gunshots when their cart triggered the explosive device, killing them instantly,” Liman added. Most of the victims, including women and children, were shot in the head, AFP journalists confirmed from viewing images.

The village of Gurnowa has been largely abandoned for years due to repeated jihadist assaults, forcing residents into makeshift displacement camps in Monguno, 140 km north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno. These camps now shelter tens of thousands under military protection.

ISWAP and its rival group Boko Haram have recently intensified attacks on military installations and civilian populations across the region. The ongoing insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed over 40,000 people and displaced more than two million, according to the United Nations. A worsening humanitarian crisis looms, with the UN warning that over one million people may face hunger due to escalating violence, dwindling international aid, and rising living costs.