Armed perpetrators in northwestern Nigeria have killed at least 15 people in an attack on the town of Mera on Friday, confirmed authorities on Saturday. The region is located near the border with Niger and has previously been exposed to armed violence from, among other things, Islamist extremist groups.
The latest attack is being highlighted by Nigeria's authorities as a new breakout group, called Lakurawa, is believed to be behind the massacre. The group is suspected of consisting of members from Mali and Niger who have entered Nigeria to spread terror.
Nigeria, including the northwestern part, has been ravaged by violence since 2009. At that time, the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram was leading, but since then, both Boko Haram and several other militant Islamist groups have partially split and fragmented.
Boko Haram has carried out atrocities in northeastern Nigeria during the autumn.
But the new group is surprising authorities as it has "access to sophisticated weapons" and is active in several places simultaneously.
The attack on the town of Mera occurred during Friday prayers. The local population fought against the group, but with losses that may be significantly greater than the number confirmed by the authorities.
