Terrorist group Boko Haram attacked another northeastern Nigeria village in Borno State this week.
The Islamic extremists targeted the village of Damboa on Friday, setting homes and other structures on fire, and leaving at least 18 dead. Half the village was destroyed, including the market.
Like many others villages attacked by the group, the residents were forced to flee to neighboring towns.
"Those who could not flee surrendered and were killed by the insurgents," a local official told AFP.
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"We were defenseless because all the security personnel, including soldiers and policemen, have withdrawn," Damboa resident Ahmed Buba told AFP.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.
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.
Survivors of Friday's attack called the Associated Press and reported that they were "piling up corpses."
Boko Haram has killed at least 2,053 people in 2014, based on attacks reported in the media.
There have been at least 95 incidents of violence this year in Nigeria attributed to the group, and over 70 towns and villages have been targeted. The majority of attacks are in Borno State.
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.
