Published on 04:41 PM, May 21, 2014

'Boko Haram kills 17' in Nigeria village attack

'Boko Haram kills 17' in Nigeria village attack

People gather at the site of a twin car bomb explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, March 2, 2014. Photo: AP/File
People gather at the site of a twin car bomb explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, March 2, 2014. Photo: AP/File

The Islamist group Boko Haram has been accused of killing 17 people in an attack on a village in north-east Nigeria, close to where hundreds of schoolgirls were seized.

It comes a day after 118 people died in a twin bomb attack in the central city of Jos, also blamed on Boko Haram.

In the latest attack, Boko Haram fighters reportedly spent hours killing and looting in the village of Alagarno.

Alagarno is near Chibok, from where the schoolgirls were abducted last month.

The abductions of more than 200 girls caused international outrage and have put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to deal with the threat from Boko Haram.

People in north-east Nigeria are extremely vulnerable to attacks because many areas are no go zones for the military and the insurgents operate freely, the BBC's Will Ross reports from the country.

Witnesses in Alagarno said the suspected Boko Haram fighters arrived close to midnight, and killed and looted for hours before leaving in stolen vehicles.

One survivor told the BBC that every single building in the village had been torched.

'FULLY COMMITTED'

Meanwhile, the search for bodies is continuing in Jos following Tuesday's twin bombings that reduced buildings to rubble.

The attacks targeted a crowded market and a hospital, and the second blast went off 30 minutes after the first - killing rescue workers who had rushed to the scene.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the bombings, and said those who carried out the attacks were "cruel and evil".

His office said he was "fully committed to winning the war against terror".

He announced increased measures to tackle the militants, including a multinational force around Lake Chad which comprises a battalion each from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria.