Boko Haram strikes

NIGERIA: The city of Maiduguri in north-east Nigeria came under attack by suspected Boko Haram militants yesterday evening in the most serious assault on the regional capital in Borno state in a year and a half.

The raid comes six months after President Muhammadu Buhari said Boko Haram had “technically” been defeated by a military campaign that had pushed many jihadists deep into the remote Sambisa forest near the border with Cameroon.

Explosions and heavy gunfire erupted for at least 45 minutes on the outskirts of the city, forcing thousands of civilians to flee the fighting. Three children were among those injured.