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LAGOS, Dec 13 (Reuters) - An armed group that kidnapped
humanitarian workers in northeastern Nigeria five months ago has
claimed it killed four hostages, international aid agency Action
Against Hunger said on Friday.
Six people were abducted in July near the town of Damasak,
in the state of Borno, where Islamist insurgents operate.
Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split
from the militant group Boko Haram that began its insurgency in
2009, has become the dominant jihadist group in the region. The
decade-long Islamist insurgency has caused the deaths of some
30,000 people and driven 2 million to flee their homes.
Action Against Hunger said one of its employees, two drivers
and three health ministry workers were abducted. In September it
said one of the hostages had been killed. On
Friday, the humanitarian agency said the group claimed to have
killed four of the remaining five hostages.
"Action Against Hunger condemns these latest killings in the
strongest terms and deeply regrets that its calls for the
release of the hostages have not been acted upon," it said.
The organization called for the "immediate release" of its
staff member, Grace, who remains in captivity.
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria,
Edward Kallon, condemned the killings.
"This is another sad day for the people of Nigeria and the
humanitarian community supporting them," Kallon said in a
statement. "Violence against humanitarian actors jeopardizes
access to much needed assistance for people affected by the
armed conflict," he added.
The U.N. has described the situation in northeast Nigeria as
one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, estimating that
around 7 million people need assistance.
The statement said seven aid workers have been killed since
the beginning of the year, among a total of 26 U.N. and aid
workers who have lost their lives in the conflict since 2011.