Nigeria – Nigeria has "technically won the war" against Islamist Boko Haram militants, President Muhammadu Buhari said on the 24 Dec 15. He told the BBC that the militant group could no longer mount "conventional attacks" against security forces or population centres. It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IED) and remained a force only in its heartland of Borno state, he said. Critics of the government argue that it has exaggerated the scale of its success against the militants, and that each time the army claims to have wiped out Boko Haram, the militants have quietly rebuilt. The group's six-year insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria has led to the deaths of some 17,000 people, destroyed more than 1,000 schools and displaced more than 1.5 million people. President Buhari has given the army until the end of this year (2015) to defeat the group - a deadline that is likely to be extended as Boko Haram is still bombing some areas despite losing towns under its control.
But he told the BBC that the jihadists had been all but driven out from Adamawa and Yobe states, and their way of operating curtailed. "Boko Haram has reverted to using improvised explosive devices (IEDs)," he said. "Indoctrinating young guys... they have now been reduced to that.” "But articulated conventional attacks on centres of communication and populations; they are no longer capable of doing that effectively.” "So I think technically we have won the war because people are going back into their neighbourhoods. Boko Haram as an organised fighting force, I assure you, that we have dealt with them." Only a few days ago, Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram is affiliated, said its West Africa division had launched more than 100 attacks - killing more than 1,000 people - over the past two months, the Site Intelligence Group, with monitor’s jihadist websites, reported. Bokon Haram has also broadened its threat to neighbouring countries, around the Lake Chad region. It reportedly killed five people in a raid in Niger earlier in the reporting period. Mr Buhari said that Nigeria had reorganised and reequipped the military, which had received training from the British, the Americans and the French. A key priority for the government now, he said, is to rebuild infrastructure and help all displaced people to return to their homes.
Nigeria – At least 14 people were killed and several others injured by Boko Haram gunmen in a Christmas Day attack on a village in north-eastern Nigeria, vigilantes said on the 27 Dec 15. Attacking astride bicycles, the militant’s invaded Kimba village in Borno state around 2000 hrs on the 25 Dec 15 opening fire on residents and torching their homes. “The gunmen killed 14 people and burnt the whole village before they fled,” Mustapha Karimbe, a civilian assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram said.
A wave of attacks by female suicide bombers in north-eastern Nigeria has killed more than 50 people it was reported on the 28 Dec 15. In the latest blasts two bombers struck a market in the town of Madagali in Adamawa state, an army official said. More than 25 people were killed. In neighbouring Borno state, several attacks in Maiduguri killed more than 30 people and injured over 100. Last week, Nigeria's leader said the war against Islamist Boko Haram militants had been "technically won". The attacks are being blamed on the group. Boko Haram jihadists appear to be trying to prove that they can still inflict widespread destruction. President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office in May promising to defeat the group, said that the militants could no longer mount "conventional attacks" against security forces or population centres,. It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IEDs), he said. Maina Ularamu, a community leader and former local government chairman said two female suicide bombers killed at least 30 people. Further north, during an attack on Dawari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, security forces had intervened and killed 10 suicide bombers, spokesman Col Mustapha Anka said. Residents said militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades drove into the village in trucks and began firing indiscriminately.
Hours later a female suicide bomber killed one person as people queued in the morning by a mosque in the city. A resident in Maiduguri's Ushari Bulabulin district said, "People were being scanned before they were allowed to pass, and she went into the middle of the gathering. She killed one person and injured six or seven. "We cannot see the lower part of her body - the bomb must have completely destroyed the lower part of her body," he said. The military has not commented on the latest attack on the mosque, which is believed to be about a kilometre from the village. Only a few days ago, Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram is affiliated, said its West Africa division had launched more than 100 attacks - killing more than 1,000 people - over the past two months, the Site Intelligence Group, with monitors jihadist websites, reported. Critics of the government argue that it has exaggerated the scale of its success against the militants, and that each time the army claims to have wiped out Boko Haram, the militants have quietly rebuilt.
Somalia – A car bomb exploded on the 19 Dec 15 on a busy street in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing at least three people and injuring at least eight, a police officer said. The number of casualties is likely to increase, police Major Nur Farah said at the scene of the blast, which was claimed by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants. The location is busy with hotels and supermarkets. Most of the casualties are pedestrians. Al Shabaab fighters have launched frequent attacks in Mogadishu in their bid to topple the Western-backed government, including a major assault on a hotel used by government officials and lawmakers in November, in which more than a dozen people were killed. A reporter said the explosion on Saturday was followed by gunfire, and smoke could be seen rising from the scene. Part of a supermarket and a number of cars were destroyed. "We were behind the blast operation. Some government officials and soldiers died and others were injured," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, an al Shabaab spokesman, said to the press on the 19 Dec without giving details of the number of dead.
Tunisia/United States – The United States embassy in Tunisia has warned its citizens to avoid a major shopping mall in the capital Tunis on the 20 Dec 15 because of a reported threat of a potential militant attack there. Tunisia is under a state of emergency following a suicide bomb attack on a presidential guard bus in Tunis in Nov 15. That followed two major militant gun attacks on a Tunis museum and a beach hotel targeting foreign tourists. A statement late on the 19 Dec 15 advised US citizens to stay away from the Tunisia Mall in Berges du Lac area in the capital on Sunday (20 Dec 15) because a "report of unknown credibility indicates the possibility of a terrorist attack." It gave no further details.
On the 23 Dec 15 it was announced that Tunisia's government had extended a state of emergency imposed after a November suicide bombing, from the 24 Dec 15 to the 21 Feb 16 the presidency said in a statement on the 22 Dec 15. The state of emergency grants the presidency and armed forces more powers and suspends some rights. The statement said the decision to extend it was made after consultations with the prime minister and parliament speaker. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi first declared this state of emergency after a suicide bombing killed 12 presidential guards in an attack in the centre of the capital last month. It was the third major Islamist militant attack this year following two gun assaults against foreign tourists.
But he told the BBC that the jihadists had been all but driven out from Adamawa and Yobe states, and their way of operating curtailed. "Boko Haram has reverted to using improvised explosive devices (IEDs)," he said. "Indoctrinating young guys... they have now been reduced to that.” "But articulated conventional attacks on centres of communication and populations; they are no longer capable of doing that effectively.” "So I think technically we have won the war because people are going back into their neighbourhoods. Boko Haram as an organised fighting force, I assure you, that we have dealt with them." Only a few days ago, Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram is affiliated, said its West Africa division had launched more than 100 attacks - killing more than 1,000 people - over the past two months, the Site Intelligence Group, with monitor’s jihadist websites, reported. Bokon Haram has also broadened its threat to neighbouring countries, around the Lake Chad region. It reportedly killed five people in a raid in Niger earlier in the reporting period. Mr Buhari said that Nigeria had reorganised and reequipped the military, which had received training from the British, the Americans and the French. A key priority for the government now, he said, is to rebuild infrastructure and help all displaced people to return to their homes.
Nigeria – At least 14 people were killed and several others injured by Boko Haram gunmen in a Christmas Day attack on a village in north-eastern Nigeria, vigilantes said on the 27 Dec 15. Attacking astride bicycles, the militant’s invaded Kimba village in Borno state around 2000 hrs on the 25 Dec 15 opening fire on residents and torching their homes. “The gunmen killed 14 people and burnt the whole village before they fled,” Mustapha Karimbe, a civilian assisting the military in fighting Boko Haram said.
A wave of attacks by female suicide bombers in north-eastern Nigeria has killed more than 50 people it was reported on the 28 Dec 15. In the latest blasts two bombers struck a market in the town of Madagali in Adamawa state, an army official said. More than 25 people were killed. In neighbouring Borno state, several attacks in Maiduguri killed more than 30 people and injured over 100. Last week, Nigeria's leader said the war against Islamist Boko Haram militants had been "technically won". The attacks are being blamed on the group. Boko Haram jihadists appear to be trying to prove that they can still inflict widespread destruction. President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office in May promising to defeat the group, said that the militants could no longer mount "conventional attacks" against security forces or population centres,. It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IEDs), he said. Maina Ularamu, a community leader and former local government chairman said two female suicide bombers killed at least 30 people. Further north, during an attack on Dawari village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, security forces had intervened and killed 10 suicide bombers, spokesman Col Mustapha Anka said. Residents said militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades drove into the village in trucks and began firing indiscriminately.
Hours later a female suicide bomber killed one person as people queued in the morning by a mosque in the city. A resident in Maiduguri's Ushari Bulabulin district said, "People were being scanned before they were allowed to pass, and she went into the middle of the gathering. She killed one person and injured six or seven. "We cannot see the lower part of her body - the bomb must have completely destroyed the lower part of her body," he said. The military has not commented on the latest attack on the mosque, which is believed to be about a kilometre from the village. Only a few days ago, Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram is affiliated, said its West Africa division had launched more than 100 attacks - killing more than 1,000 people - over the past two months, the Site Intelligence Group, with monitors jihadist websites, reported. Critics of the government argue that it has exaggerated the scale of its success against the militants, and that each time the army claims to have wiped out Boko Haram, the militants have quietly rebuilt.
Somalia – A car bomb exploded on the 19 Dec 15 on a busy street in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing at least three people and injuring at least eight, a police officer said. The number of casualties is likely to increase, police Major Nur Farah said at the scene of the blast, which was claimed by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants. The location is busy with hotels and supermarkets. Most of the casualties are pedestrians. Al Shabaab fighters have launched frequent attacks in Mogadishu in their bid to topple the Western-backed government, including a major assault on a hotel used by government officials and lawmakers in November, in which more than a dozen people were killed. A reporter said the explosion on Saturday was followed by gunfire, and smoke could be seen rising from the scene. Part of a supermarket and a number of cars were destroyed. "We were behind the blast operation. Some government officials and soldiers died and others were injured," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, an al Shabaab spokesman, said to the press on the 19 Dec without giving details of the number of dead.
Tunisia/United States – The United States embassy in Tunisia has warned its citizens to avoid a major shopping mall in the capital Tunis on the 20 Dec 15 because of a reported threat of a potential militant attack there. Tunisia is under a state of emergency following a suicide bomb attack on a presidential guard bus in Tunis in Nov 15. That followed two major militant gun attacks on a Tunis museum and a beach hotel targeting foreign tourists. A statement late on the 19 Dec 15 advised US citizens to stay away from the Tunisia Mall in Berges du Lac area in the capital on Sunday (20 Dec 15) because a "report of unknown credibility indicates the possibility of a terrorist attack." It gave no further details.
On the 23 Dec 15 it was announced that Tunisia's government had extended a state of emergency imposed after a November suicide bombing, from the 24 Dec 15 to the 21 Feb 16 the presidency said in a statement on the 22 Dec 15. The state of emergency grants the presidency and armed forces more powers and suspends some rights. The statement said the decision to extend it was made after consultations with the prime minister and parliament speaker. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi first declared this state of emergency after a suicide bombing killed 12 presidential guards in an attack in the centre of the capital last month. It was the third major Islamist militant attack this year following two gun assaults against foreign tourists.
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