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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Thu Jun 9, 2022, 09:47 PM Jun 2022

Islamic State affiliate suspected of Catholic church massacre, Nigeria says

Source: Reuters

Islamic State affiliate suspected of Catholic church massacre, Nigeria says

Reuters in Abuja
Thu 9 Jun 2022 17.48 BST
First published on Thu 9 Jun 2022 16.03 BST

Nigerian security officials suspect extremists from Islamic State’s affiliate in west Africa were behind an attack on a Catholic church last weekend that killed dozens.

Forty people are now thought to have died after gunmen stormed St Francis Catholic church in Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday, and 61 survivors are still being treated in hospital, according to local authorities. The total is double an earlier estimate.

Nigeria’s National Security Council said on Thursday that the attack was the work of the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) group, apparently reinforcing fears that the militants, who have been restricted to the north-east for many years, are looking to expand their influence and reach to other parts of the country. Ondo, in the south-west, has long been considered one of the safer parts of the country.

Nevertheless, some analysts have counselled caution, noting the absence of any claim of responsibility from Iswap.

“Iswap always claim big attacks, and always ones in the south,” ...

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/09/islamic-state-affiliate-suspected-catholic-church-massacre-nigeria-iswap

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