IS claims responsibility for Nigeria attack that killed 29 people

Authorities say the militants raided a football pitch where people had been gathering and opened fire at random. IS claims responsibility for Nigeria attack that killed 29 people Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Map of Nigeria showing state boundaries, with Adamawa state highlighted in white in the eastern part of the country along the border with Cameroon. An inset globe locates Nigeria within West Africa, and a scale bar shows distance in kilometres and miles. Gunmen have killed at least 29 people in an attack on a village in Nigeria's north-eastern Adamawa state, local officials say. The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, without specifying its motive. Authorities and local residents say the militants raided a football pitch where people had been gathering and opened fire at random, before burning houses, places of worship and motorcycles. State governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri shared photos of himself arriving at the scene, describing the attack as an "affront to our humanity". The governor's media office said the attack lasted several hours in Guyaku, a village in the Gombi local government area. Surveying the damage in the area, the governor's spokesperson wrote on Facebook that the "atmosphere in the community remains tense, with grief and fear evident". Many families "have abandoned their homes over concerns of further attacks", the spokesperson added. Fintiri posted on X: "We are intensifying security operations immediately to restore peace and ensure every resident feels safe in their home again." The restive region bordering Cameroon has seen repeated attacks by local criminal gangs and affiliates of IS in recent years. Earlier this month, almost 400 people were sentenced during mass trials for their links with militant Islamist groups Boko Haram and its rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap). during mass trials for their links with militant Islamist groups Boko Haram and its rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap). In 2009, Boko Haram launched an insurgency in Nigeria's north-east leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and displacement of more than two million in the years since, according to aid groups. The jihadist conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The Nigerian government is under intense pressure to curb rising insecurity in Africa's most-populous nation, which has also come under international scrutiny ahead of the country's general elections in January. Late last year, the US launched "powerful and deadly" strikes against militants linked to IS in north-western Nigeria. Scene of a US strike in Jabo, in Sokoto state in north-west Nigeria, with police cordoning off a crater in a field, 26 December US launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria Christians faithfuls hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja during a prayer and penance for peace and security in Nigeria in Abuja on March 1, 2020 - they are holding a sign that says 'thou shall not kill' Are Christians being persecuted in Nigeria as Trump claims? A bandit in Zamfara state dressed in dark blue and holding a gun over his shoulder walks away from the camera in a forested area. The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria The attack saw 23 children and the facility's proprietress kidnapped by gunmen on Sunday. Michael Eneramo, who won 10 caps for the Super Eagles, dies aged 40 after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest during a friendly game. What court papers and sources close to the investigation have told the BBC about the scope of the plan. Ethnic Tuareg fighters say they are in control of Kidal following a weekend of nationwide attacks, alongside Islamist groups. The authorities are investigating but early reports suggest bad weather and poor visibility may be to blame. The dispute was initially between two families before escalating into a cycle of reprisal attacks. The UK's maritime monitor reports at least four suspected piracy incidents in the past week off the coast of Somalia. A wave of coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and separatists has spread through the country.