Boko Haram, an African Islamic terrorist organization with strong ties to ISIS, is believed to be behind a Wednesday night attack which left at least 15 Nigerian soldiers and a relief worker dead. According to Reuters, the assault took place in the northeastern part of the country in the state of Borno, an area which has been plagued by jihadist groups since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.
According to reports, the soldiers and aid workers from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were digging trenches when the terrorists ambushed them.
“The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja and the management staff have been thrown into mourning following a death of a staff who was killed by Boko Haram yesterday in Damasak, Borno state,” said a press release from NEMA, according to Reuters.
This attack comes just a few weeks after another Boko Haram assault in which 20 Nigerian troops were abducted. They have not been heard from since.
These latest attacks prove that although Nigeria and other allied countries in the region have made progress in eliminating Boko Haram and other similar groups, the jihadis remain active and dangerous.