Nigeria militants destroy village killing 39
Maiduguri, Nigeria, 2 Mar - (ANA) - Suspected militants have shot dead at least 39 people in an attack on a village in north-eastern Nigeria. The attackers - believed to be from the Boko Haram group - destroyed the entire village of Mainok, about 50km (30 miles) west of the city of Maiduguri. The incident took place late on Saturday, hours after two bomb blasts killed at least 50 people in Maiduguri. Boko Haram has been conducting a four-year violent campaign to demand Islamic rule in northern Nigeria. An eyewitness described how the attack unfolded: "They started shooting everywhere, they started burning all the houses in the village. "I don't think that there is any house that is standing in the village and they have killed at least 39 people in the village. "These people have guns - AK47, RPGs and so on and so forth, they can come and attack anybody and kill, including women and children, they kill everybody that can see them." Earlier two bombs exploded in a densely populated area of Maiduguri - a city which Boko Haram has often targeted. The first bomb was concealed inside a truck full of wood. As people tried to rescue victims the second explosion occurred. At the time many people were crowded in a video hall in the area watching football. There was also a wedding nearby and many of the dead were children. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states last year in an attempt to curb the insurgency. His critics say the move has been ineffective. Hardly a day goes by without reports of another deadly attack by militants, correspondents say.(ANA)

FA/ANA/2 March 2014--------------