Reports indicate Boko Haram has seized the northeastern Nigerian town of Bama and displaced “thousands of civilians” in the process.
Last month Boko Haram tried to duplicate ISIS’s formation of a state in Iraq and Syria by declaring an Islamic state in the parts of Nigeria under its control.
According to BBC News, residents say Boko Haram captured Bama after pitched battles with the military on August 30 and 31. They said the military initially “repelled” Boko Haram fighters, but were finally overrun once more fighters showed up “in armored trucks.”
The military and residents alike fled.
Nigeria’s military has not officially confirmed the capture of Bama. But if it proves true, “[it] would be an extremely significant development…[that] would raise concerns the Boko Haram’s next target will be Maiduguri,” the state capital.
Boko Haram has carried out an insurgency in Nigeria for five years. In that time they have killed thousands of innocents using blades, bullets, and fire. They have also abducted innocent girls and women for purposes unknown.
The militants abducted approximately 200 girls from a secondary school in Chibok on April 14. And on May 13 Breitbart News reported that U.S. “commercial satellites” were sharing information with the Nigerian military in hopes of recovering the girls. U.S. planes were also flying overhead to provide reconnaissance and FBI assets were on the ground.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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