Nigeria Launches Air Strikes Against Militant Camps

A Nigerian soldier, part of the "Operation Flush" patrolling the remote northeast town of Baga, Borno State, April 30, 2013.

Nigerian forces have launched air strikes against suspected Islamist militant camps in the country's northeast.

A government spokesman said several camps were targeted and the attacks killed an undetermined number of insurgents.

Some of the attacks took place in the Sambisa Game Reserve in Borno state, a known hideout of the radical sect Boko Haram.

Witnesses reported the deployment of troops and jet fighters in Borno on Wednesday, a day after President Goodluck Jonathan said Boko Haram had taken over parts of the state.
 

The president declared a state of emergency in Borno and the neighboring states of Yobe and Adamawa, and authorized security forces to take "all necessary actions" against the militants.

Boko Haram Facts

• Based in the northeastern city of Maiduguri
• Began in 2002 as a non-violent Islamist splinter group
• Launched uprising in 2009; leader was subsequently killed in police custody
• Has killed hundreds in bombings and shootings since 2010
• Boko Haram translates to "Western education is sinful"
• Wants Nigeria to adopt strict Islamic law
• Says it will kidnap women and children as part of its campaign
• Has taken over parts of northeastern Nigeria

Boko Haram has battled the government since 2009 in an effort to impose Islamic law on majority-Muslim northern Nigeria.

In a video this week, the group's purported leader claimed responsibility for recent attacks in the towns of Baga and Bama, and said militants would begin kidnapping women and children as part of their strategy.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram-related violence, including hundreds killed in government counter-insurgency operations.  

Sources :

http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-launches-air-strikes-against-militant-camps/1662861.html