Jihadists linked to the Islamic State, have killed 6 people in raids on herding villages in North-East Nigeria, Militia and residents said on Sunday.
Fighters from the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, attacked Bunuri and Gaderi villages, as well as a nearby herding settlement in Gubio District, late on Saturday, stealing livestock and killing residents, they said.
“The insurgents killed 6 people in the attacks, and stole more than 3,000 cattle”, Militia Leader, Ibrahim Liman, told AFP.
The assailants riding in pickup trucks fitted with machine guns, stormed into Bunuri around 16:30 GMT, killing 3 people, and taking hundreds of herds, according to Umara Kyari, from nearby Tungushe village.
“We buried 3 people killed in the attack this morning”, said Kyari, who attended the funeral.
The jihadists attacked Gaderi after dark, taking along “more than 2,000 cows”, after killing 3 residents who tried to stop them, Liman said.
ISWAP has in recent days, carried out deadly attacks on herding communities in the area.
The attacks have raised fears that the group is changing tactics to target civilians, who have been largely spared in the past.
The group had previously targeted Troops and Military installations.
Late on Saturday, ISWAP fighters made a foiled attempt to overrun a Military base in the town of Konduga, 38 kilometres (23 miles) from the regional capital of Maiduguri, Military and Militia sources stated.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.