Doha: The Boko Haram militant group launched an attack on the town of Kerawa in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, displacing thousands of residents into neighboring Cameroon. Umar Ari, head of a local anti-militant force, told reporters today that dozens of Boko Haram militants attacked Kerawa, a border town with Cameroon, last night with the aim of seizing control of the town.
According to Qatar News Agency, the attack burned down homes, forcing approximately 5,000 people to flee. Yaqub Ali, a local official and head of the Kerawa Development Association, similarly stated that the attack forced 5,000 people to flee the town, 3,000 of whom crossed the river into Cameroon, while the rest took refuge in neighboring villages.
Borno State and northeastern Nigeria in general are areas where residents frequently experience attacks by Boko Haram. In 2014, the group took control of the city of Gwoza before the Nigerian army, with support from the Chadian army, recaptured the city in 2015.
Since then, Boko Haram, along with the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), has continued to launch attacks from the mountainous regions, terrorizing the population and sometimes leading to the kidnapping of women and children.