Suspected Islamists kill Nigerian villagers collecting firewood

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Oct 2 - Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants killed at least 18 villagers who had gone into the bush to collect firewood in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, local leaders and security sources said.

• Other villagers were still missing after the attack on Thursday in Marte Local Government Area, one of the areas hardest hit by a 17-year-old insurgency.

• Armed groups — some seeking to carve out a Caliphate in the region, others seeking plunder or ransoms and recruits from kidnappings — have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions in regular raids.

• Villagers have come under attack as they stray into rebel areas while pushing into the bush for farming and firewood.

• The traditional ruler of Marte said 18 bodies had been recovered after the attackers ambushed the villagers.

• A senior military officer said troops had launched clearance operations in the area and were pursuing the attackers.

• The insurgency in northeastern Nigeria is led mainly by Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province. REUTERS