Children Burned Alive in Horrific Boko Haram Attack; 86 People Slaughtered
A number of children were burned alive in Boko Haram's latest horrific attack in Dalori village in Nigeria, with officials saying that 86 people were killed.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that charred corpses and bodies with bullet wounds littered the streets in the Northeastern village, which is hosting up to 25,000 refugees who have fled the Islamic militants.
One survivor said he hid in a tree and heard the screams of children being burned alive.as Boko Haram militants torched huts.
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The distraught man told the AP in a telephone call that several members of his family were killed or wounded in the attack, which occurred Saturday evening.
Militants reportedly burned and shot to death civilians, while three female suicide bombers blew themselves up among people fleeing to the neighboring Gamori village.
Nigerian army troops arrived at the scene and clashed with the militants, but a soldier who spoke on condition of anonymity said the army was defeated because the terrorists were better armed.
One resident, identified as Kulo Sheriff by CNN, said that the attack began right after some in the community had finished village prayers.
"We had just finished evening prayers when the gunmen came to our village and indiscriminately opened fire and set fire to homes," Sheriff said.
"They detonated two bombs, which added to our fright and confusion. Everybody fled into the bush from where we saw our homes burning."
Resident Adamu Kyari added: "We slept in the bush with no blankets despite the chilling weather. We could hear soldiers battling with the Boko Haram attackers. It was terrifying."
A state emergency agency official said that workers examining the scene of the attack found 12 bodies that were burned beyond recognition.
"We can't even pick those ones, they were seriously burned," the official said, according to Reuters.
Just last week Boko Haram carried out another series of suicide bombing attacks on the town of Chibok, killing 16 people in the process.
Boko Haram, which now refers to itself as the Islamic State's West Africa Province, has killed well over 20,000 people since it began its insurgency in Nigeria in 2009, and has driven over 2.3 million people from their homes.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been criticized by some in the country's media, including the Premium Times, for suggesting in December that Boko Haram had been "technically defeated."
The publication said on Monday that while it is true that Boko Haram no longer controls large towns and is not governing large territory, it pointed out that the insurgency remains deadly and that the conflict is "far from over."
Buhari insisted yet again on Sunday that Boko Haram has "lost the war," however, and are now "seeking ways and means to gradually find their way back into society."
"I urge all citizens wherever they live to own the war against terror and to be part of the fight because it is the only way we can finish the remaining work that needs to be done to make our country safe again," the Nigerian president said, according to TheCable, adding that the militants are "so desperate to embarrass the government and the people that they have no qualms attacking isolated communities and markets."
