At least 25 people were killed and several homes destroyed in coordinated militant attacks on two rural communities in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, according to local officials and international news agencies.
The attacks occurred late on Tuesday night, when gunmen struck Kirchinga in Madagali District and Garaha in neighbouring Hong, near the Sambisa Forest a long-standing stronghold for Islamist extremist groups including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Residents said the assailants, some wearing military-style uniforms, arrived on motorcycles and opened fire on civilians, leaving bodies scattered in the streets.
In Kirchinga, local leaders reported recovering at least 18 bodies after the gunmen swept through the village, setting houses alight and attacking residents.
In Garaha, at least seven people were killed when armed men clashed with soldiers near a military base.
Witnesses said several soldiers were among the deceased and that a nearby school building was also burned.
Many villagers fled toward the larger town of Mubi seeking safety.
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri condemned the violence as “cowardly acts of terrorism” and vowed that security forces would intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities.
Despite ongoing military operations against insurgents in the region, attacks on remote villages have persisted, highlighting long-running insecurity in northeast Nigeria.
The northeast has been the epicentre of a decade-plus Islamist insurgency that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, prompting regional and international support for counter-terrorism efforts.
