Boko Haram in Nigeria

This item appears on page 16 of the August 2015 issue.

Nearly 150 civilians were killed in attacks by Boko Haram militants on July 1-2 in the northern Nigerian state of Borno.

In the first attack, in the town of Monguno, liberated from Boko Haram by the Nigerian army in February 2015, militants killed 48 men but spared women and children. In the second attack, in the town of Kukawa, 97 people were killed, including women and children. Both attacks occurred during evening prayers.

Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) on March 9, but it is not clear how much influence IS has on the group’s operations.