The leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists, Abubakar Shekau, has claimed a daring December 20 raid on a military barracks in the restive northeast, in a video obtained by AFP Friday.
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The insurgents stormed the barracks in the town of Bama in a convoy of trucks before sunrise, opened fired on the soldiers inside then torched the compound. Several witnesses said the gunmen kidnapped soldiers as well as women and children.
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"Our fighters stormed the Bama barracks," Shekau said, while seated on a mat and flanked by a group of armed men.
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Shekau has released a series of videos since taking control of the rebel group more than three years ago.
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The latest recorded statement was delivered to AFP through the same channel as previous messages.
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"This is a victory from Allah," said the wanted insurgent leader after claiming to have destroyed "21 armoured tanks" and killed "multitudes" in the raid.
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The military has not released a death toll from the barracks attack and rescue agencies have largely been barred from working in the northeast since at a state of emergency was declared in the area in May.
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According to the defence ministry, more than 50 "terrorists" were killed when ground forces backed by fighter jets pursued the fleeing Islamists after the raid.
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Residents told AFP that an unknown number of civilians were killed and four villages destroyed during the military response.
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Shekau has been declared a global terrorist by the United States, which put a $7 million (5.1 million euros) bounty on his head. Nigeria has separately offered 50 million naira ($300,000) for information leading to his capture or death.
Hmmmm they just like it when disasters like this take place and it's just very painful.
Too bad I have to just say.
I wonder what kind of victory this is right now.
The way they think though ....Very bad of them