Abuja (Nigeria), September 7 (H.S.) : In a fresh wave of violence, Boko Haram militants carried out a large-scale assault on the village of Darul Jamal in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 63 people and setting homes on fire. The village had recently been resettled with displaced residents who had returned after years of conflict.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State confirmed the death toll late Saturday during his visit to the scene of the attack. Among the victims were five soldiers and nearly 58 civilians. Several others sustained injuries, while many villagers managed to escape with their lives.

According to local reports, suspected Boko Haram insurgents struck Darul Jamal around 9 p.m. Friday night, unleashing what has been described as a barbaric assault. Scores of residents were either killed or injured, and numerous houses were torched. Eyewitnesses said the attackers indiscriminately slaughtered their victims before burning homes, forcing survivors to flee into the bush.

Speaking after his condolence visit, Governor Zulum called the massacre heartbreaking: “This community only resettled a few months ago and was striving to return to normalcy, but tragically, last night they came under another Boko Haram attack.” He met community leaders and assured grieving families of support.

Boko Haram, formed in 2009 by local jihadists to oppose western education and establish a radical Islamist order, has been notorious for mass killings, kidnappings, and other atrocities. Following the 2021 death of its notorious leader Abubakar Shekau, the group splintered into two factions: one aligned with the Islamic State, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which commonly targets military forces, and another faction, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), notorious for targeting civilians in ransom kidnappings and looting operations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar