MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -- Islamic extremists killed 35 people and kidnapped at least 185 in an attack near the town where nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted in April, witnesses said Thursday.
In Sunday night's attack on the village of Gumburi, most of the kidnapped were young women, children and members of a civilian defense group fighting Boko Haram, said residents, a security official and a local government officer.
Teenager Aji Ibrahim said he was lucky to escape into the bushes. "No doubt they were Boko Haram members because they were chanting 'Allahu akbar' [God is great] while shooting at people and torching houses," he said.
News of the attack took days to emerge because the militants have destroyed communications towers and people walked for days to avoid areas under extremist control.
Gumburi is 12 miles from Chibok, the northeastern town where extremists kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in April. Dozens of the students escaped that attack, but 219 remain missing.
The militants have kidnapped hundreds of people, but the kidnappings of the girls from a boarding school attracted international fury and condemnation of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his military for their failure to rescue the hostages.
The United States, Britain, France and China were among countries that sent security experts and hostage negotiators to help free the girls. Washington also flew drones over the area where it believed the schoolgirls were held. None of them has yet been found.
A Section on 12/19/2014