Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram left over 100 people dead when they set the village of Damboa on fire Friday, and gunned down civilians when they fled from the blazes.
The Islamic extremists announced that the village had been conquered by raising their flag over Damboa, just 53 miles south of the Borno State capital, Maiduguri.
Survivors reported that Boko Haram members used bombs and rocket-propelled grenades to destroy nearly the entire village, including homes and the villager's marketplace. As the villagers ran from the fires, they were shot.
"Those who could not flee surrendered and were killed by the insurgents," a local official told AFP.
Nigerian Vigilante Group spokesman Abbas Gava said that the villagers were preparing for their 5 a.m. prayer when they were attacked, and had only homemade guns and clubs to defend themselves and their families.
Two weeks ago, Damboa's military barracks were attacked by Boko Haram, and several soldiers were killed. The Defense Ministry reported that soldiers repelled the attack and killed over 50 terrorists. After the incident, however, soldiers and law enforcement officers left the village, and two military convoys trying to reach Damboa were attacked last week.
"We were defenseless because all the security personnel, including soldiers and policemen, have withdrawn," Damboa resident Ahmed Buba told AFP.
The village was further cut off because Boko Haram blew up a bridge that connects the southern end of Damboa.
The beleaguered villagers were attacked again late Friday, as they were trying to bury their dead.
Askira Uba, Borno State was also targeted this weekend. Gava reported that the terrorists sent letters threatening to attack and take over their village. Hundreds of Nigerians fled the area.
"Nine major villages are on the run," Gava told the Associated Press.
Boko Haram became internationally known after kidnapping over 270 children from an all-girls school in Chibok, Nigeria on April 14. A second mass kidnapping occurred on May 4 in Warabe. Over 200 girls remain missing.
