Militants kill 20 soldiers, 40 civilians in northeast Nigeria attacks

MAIDUGURI, June 13 (Reuters) - Islamic militants killed at
least 20 soldiers and more than 40 civilians and injured
hundreds in twin attacks in northeast Nigeria's Borno state on
Saturday, residents and a civilian task force fighter said.
The attacks, in the Monguno and Nganzai local government
areas, came just days after militants killed at least 69 people
in a raid on a village in a third area, Gubio. Two humanitarian workers and three residents told Reuters
that militants armed with heavy weaponry including rocket
launchers arrived in Monguno, a hub for international
non-governmental organizations, at roughly 11 a.m. local time.
They overran government forces, taking some casualties but
killing at least 20 soldiers and roaming the area for three
hours.
The sources said hundreds of civilians were injured in the
crossfire, overwhelming the local hospital and forcing some of
the injured to lay outside the facility awaiting help.
The militants also burned down the United Nations'
humanitarian hub in the area and set on fire the local police
station. Fighters distributed letters to residents, in the local
Hausa language, warning them not to work with the military or
international aid groups.
Militants also entered Nganzai at about the same time on
Saturday, according to two residents and one Civilian Joint Task
Force (CJTF) fighter. They arrived on motorcycles and in pickup
trucks and killed more than 40 residents, the sources said.
A military spokesman did not answer calls for comment on the
attacks. U.N. officials could not immediately be reached for
comment.
Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa
Province (ISWAP), have killed thousands and displaced millions
in northeastern Nigeria. ISWAP claimed the two Saturday attacks,
and the Gubio attack.