End of the year tragedy: Boko Haram landmines kill 11 Nigerian security personnel

11 security personnel, including four soldiers have been killed by landmines planted by Boko Haram insurgents in northeast Nigeria, security sources said on Tuesday.

Seven hunters recruited to support the military in fighting the insurgents were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle hit a landmine at Kayamla village, Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital.

The hunters were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine as they were pursuing Boko Haram insurgents.

“Seven hunters died in the explosion and nine others are badly injured,” Babakura Kolo, the head of a local anti-jihadist militia, told AFP.

Similarly, four soldiers were killed on Monday when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram fighters in Logomani village near the border with Cameroon, two security sources told AFP.

Series of attacks against Nigerian citizens have been reported in the Northeastern region since the beginning of the month.

Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday attacked four Villages, including Alade, Shafa, Azare, and Yimirshika, across the Southern part of Borno State.

During the attack on Saturday, December 26, several houses were set ablaze by the criminals.

Last week 40 loggers were kidnapped and three killed near the Cameroonian border.

Similarly, on Christmas Eve, Boko Haram killed 11 persons, burnt a church and seized a priest in a village near Chibok, where it notoriously kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls six years ago.

At least 35 commuters were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents along Damaturu-Maiduguri road on December 18.

The insurgents,who appeared in military uniforms, attacked a large convoy of commuters near Garin Kuturu in Jakana, on Damaturu-Maiduguri road.

Also, Boko Haram ISWAP fighters on December 13 attacked the town of Toumour, Diffa in the Niger Republic.

The Insurgents killed 15 villagers including the elder brother of the town Emir, Maina Usaini who is 60 years old, razed 10 cars and over 500 houses belonging to IDPs from Abadam LGA, who sought refuge in Toumour town.

Boko Haram and a splinter group known as ISWAP have killed 36,000 people in the northeast and forced roughly two million to flee since 2009, according to the United Nations.