Boko haram

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS: A Nigerian Christian leader told 'The Jerusalem Post’ that the Trump administration is forcing authorities to intervene in Islamist killings.

The findings underscore the accelerating spread of jihadist groups in West Africa, where governments and foreign militaries have struggled for more than a decade to contain their advance.

Borno, the epicenter of Nigeria's 17-year Islamist insurgency, has seen Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters intensify attacks on both troops and civilians.

A military source said the military formation was part of an offensive to flush out insurgents from the Timbuktu Triangle, a longstanding militant stronghold in northeastern Nigeria.

The students are among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff seized by gunmen from St Mary's Catholic boarding school in Papiri village in the early hours of November 21.

A day earlier, Australia's Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a huge circle in the waters off the beach to honor victims.

Here’s what to know about the recent wave of kidnappings and deadly attacks in Nigeria, who is behind them, and how the government is responding to the worsening security crisis.

A Nigerian military spokesperson described the claim as "fake news" and urged the public to disregard unverified claims circulating online.

The African Union Commission chairperson refuted US President's claims that "very large numbers" of Christians were being killed in Nigeria

Trump has threatened military action over the ill-treatment of Christians in the country, although most victims of terror groups have been Muslim, analysts say.