United News of Bangladesh

Islamic militants attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria on Friday, abducting more than 300 people, including women and children, local officials said. The attack occurred in Ngoshe town in Borno state, according to Bulama Sawa, an official from the Gwoza area. He told The Associated Press that the assault was likely carried out in retaliation for a recent military operation that killed three commanders of the militant group Boko Haram. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Nigeria is facing a complex security crisis involving multiple armed groups. The United States has also deployed troops to the West African country to advise and support its military in tackling the growing insecurity. 50 killed, many abducted in armed attack in Nigeria Separate attacks were also reported earlier this week in the communities of Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok between Wednesday and early Friday, a military spokesperson said. Spokesperson Uba Sani said troops managed to repel the attacks in those communities, but noted that “a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” including a senior officer. He did not provide details on the number of military casualties. Sani described the incidents as “failed attacks” and said they reflected the “increasing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure” from the military. Ulf Laessing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation said the attack on Ngoshe highlighted the Nigerian army’s challenges in controlling vast areas where jihadist groups operate. He said militants are also benefiting from stronger cross-border cooperation and the use of drones to identify targets before launching attacks. “The army is fighting a ghost — fighters descending with motorbikes on villages and disappearing into the bush before the army can respond in time,” Laessing said. Among the most prominent militant groups operating in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group. Other groups include the IS-linked Lakurawa as well as criminal “bandit” groups known for kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining. The security crisis has recently expanded with the involvement of militants from the neighbouring Sahel region, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack inside Nigeria last year. According to United Nations data, several thousand people have been killed in the violence in Nigeria. Analysts say the government is still not doing enough to protect civilians.

At least 10 people were killed in an attack by Islamic militants who stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital late Friday, police and eyewitnesses said. Several other people were injured and security forces rescued many others, including children, from the scene of the attack at Mogadishu’s Hayat Hotel, they said. The attack started with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered the building. Gunfire could still be heard early Saturday as security forces tried to contain the last gunmen, who were thought to be holed up in the hotel. It was unclear how many militants remained on the hotel’s top floor. Also read: Somali forces kill 20 al-Shabab militants in central region The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest of its frequent attempts to strike places that are often visited by government officials. There was no immediate word on the identities of the victims. “We were having tea near the hotel lobby when we heard the first blast followed by gunfire. I immediately rushed toward hotel rooms on the ground floor, and I locked,” eyewitness Abdullahi Hussein told the AP by phone. “The militants went straight upstairs and started shooting. I was inside the room until the security forces arrived and rescued me.” He said that on his way to safety he saw “several bodies lying on the ground outside hotel reception.”