Boko Haram extremists storm Nigeria village, killing 7

YOLA, Nigeria – Authorities in northern Nigeria say Boko Haram extremists have killed at least seven people in an attack on a village where they burned homes and shops to the ground.

Fleeing residents said the fighters stormed Mildu village late Tuesday.

The community is not far from the Sambisa Forest, which was a Boko Haram stronghold before Nigeria’s military announced it had regained control of the area late last year.

Muhammad Yusuf, the chairman of a local council, says seven people have been confirmed dead though the figure could rise.

Boko Haram’s insurgency in an attempt to enforce strict Islamic Shariah rule has killed more than 20,000 and displaced about 3 million people, mostly women and children, since 2009.