Militants of the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād have attacked Askira Uba in Borno State.
Askira is south and about 250km drive from Maiduguri, the state capital.
It is also the hometown of Engr Abddullahi Musa Askira, the Deputy Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly.
According to PRNigeria, an intelligence officer said the terrorists first disguised themselves as visitors before launching the attack.
“After realising that soldiers were not within the vicinity, they started shooting in the air, destroying structures on sight,” the source said.
“Houses and a block of classrooms were among properties destroyed. The military has deployed troops to the area.”
Earlier this week, ISWAP abducted Mohammed Askira and two brothers. The trio are brothers of the Emir of Askira, Abdullahi Mohammed Askirama II.
The terror group, which split from the mainstream Boko Haram in 2016, has become a dominant group, focusing on military targets and high-profile attacks, including against aid workers.
With the death of Abubakar Shekau and the realignment of various factions, an interim committee headed by one Abbah Gana aka Ba-Lawan was appointed to lead the ISIS Islamic Caliphate of Africa (Wilaya of Africa), covering parts of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
The Nigerian army has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency had been largely defeated and frequently underplays any losses.
The terror group has caused over 50,000 deaths and displaced millions of people mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
