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| In Nigeria, More Attacks on Militants | |
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| DAKAR, Senegal — The Nigerian military stepped up its assault on Islamist militants in northeastern Nigeria, officials said Friday, only days after the president announced a heightened campaign against insurgents who he said had declared war on the state. | DAKAR, Senegal — The Nigerian military stepped up its assault on Islamist militants in northeastern Nigeria, officials said Friday, only days after the president announced a heightened campaign against insurgents who he said had declared war on the state. |
| Military officials said air and ground assaults were launched against suspected bases of the Boko Haram Islamist group at Nigeria’s northeastern edge and in a forest south of the city of Maiduguri, the group’s birthplace. | Military officials said air and ground assaults were launched against suspected bases of the Boko Haram Islamist group at Nigeria’s northeastern edge and in a forest south of the city of Maiduguri, the group’s birthplace. |
| Officials said a number of insurgents had been killed in the raids but could not say how many. The military operation follows President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in the country’s northeast on Tuesday night, which followed heightened confrontations between Islamist militants and government security forces in that hard-hit region. | Officials said a number of insurgents had been killed in the raids but could not say how many. The military operation follows President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in the country’s northeast on Tuesday night, which followed heightened confrontations between Islamist militants and government security forces in that hard-hit region. |
| The president’s speech, with its promise of a stepped-up military response, prompted critics and allies of the government to warn against further large-scale civilian killings by the army and the police, a pattern that has persisted since the start of the military’s campaign against the Islamist insurgency nearly four years ago. | The president’s speech, with its promise of a stepped-up military response, prompted critics and allies of the government to warn against further large-scale civilian killings by the army and the police, a pattern that has persisted since the start of the military’s campaign against the Islamist insurgency nearly four years ago. |
| The United States gave some $3 million in law enforcement assistance to Nigeria last year, meets regularly with Nigerian officers on counterterrorism issues, and considers Nigeria a significant ally in the fight against Islamist extremism. But reports of civilian massacres by the military have made some officials in Washington uneasy. | The United States gave some $3 million in law enforcement assistance to Nigeria last year, meets regularly with Nigerian officers on counterterrorism issues, and considers Nigeria a significant ally in the fight against Islamist extremism. But reports of civilian massacres by the military have made some officials in Washington uneasy. |
| On Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was “deeply concerned about the fighting in northeastern Nigeria following President Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency,” and that “we are also deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism.” | On Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was “deeply concerned about the fighting in northeastern Nigeria following President Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency,” and that “we are also deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism.” |
| Mr. Kerry made it clear that “the United States condemns Boko Haram’s campaign of terror in the strongest terms,” but he also urged “Nigeria’s security forces to apply disciplined use of force in all operations, protect civilians in any security response, and respect human rights and the rule of law.” | Mr. Kerry made it clear that “the United States condemns Boko Haram’s campaign of terror in the strongest terms,” but he also urged “Nigeria’s security forces to apply disciplined use of force in all operations, protect civilians in any security response, and respect human rights and the rule of law.” |
| The scope of this operation appears larger than similar predecessors, although the northeast was already heavily militarized before it began, with many checkpoints on the region’s roads, sandbagged military emplacements throughout Maiduguri and convoys of soldiers bristling with weapons regularly racing through the city’s dusty streets. | The scope of this operation appears larger than similar predecessors, although the northeast was already heavily militarized before it began, with many checkpoints on the region’s roads, sandbagged military emplacements throughout Maiduguri and convoys of soldiers bristling with weapons regularly racing through the city’s dusty streets. |
| “Advancing troops of Special Task Force have destroyed some terrorist camps sited in the forests of Northern and central Borno,” said a statement from Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters that was sent to reporters from the country’s capital, Abuja, on Friday. “Heavy weapons including antiaircraft and antitank guns were also destroyed in the process.” | “Advancing troops of Special Task Force have destroyed some terrorist camps sited in the forests of Northern and central Borno,” said a statement from Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters that was sent to reporters from the country’s capital, Abuja, on Friday. “Heavy weapons including antiaircraft and antitank guns were also destroyed in the process.” |
| “The special operations which preceded troops’ movement has resulted in the destruction of much of the insurgents’ weapons and logistics such as vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and power generators,” the statement said, adding that “the casualties inflicted on the insurgents in the cause of the assault will be verified during mop-up." | “The special operations which preceded troops’ movement has resulted in the destruction of much of the insurgents’ weapons and logistics such as vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and power generators,” the statement said, adding that “the casualties inflicted on the insurgents in the cause of the assault will be verified during mop-up." |
| An army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in a brief phone interview from Abuja that “the air force led the assault, helicopters and fighter jets,” targeting “all the camps spread across border towns.” | An army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in a brief phone interview from Abuja that “the air force led the assault, helicopters and fighter jets,” targeting “all the camps spread across border towns.” |
| Critics wondered whether it would seriously disrupt the hit-and-run guerrilla insurgency of Boko Haram. “We may win the battle, but we may not win the war,” said Kole Shettima, the chairman of the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja. The army “may succeed in disbanding some of the camps, but eventually, the insurgents being essentially mobile and nomadic in their activities, they will resurface,” he said. “They may even attempt to attack us in different parts of the country.” | Critics wondered whether it would seriously disrupt the hit-and-run guerrilla insurgency of Boko Haram. “We may win the battle, but we may not win the war,” said Kole Shettima, the chairman of the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja. The army “may succeed in disbanding some of the camps, but eventually, the insurgents being essentially mobile and nomadic in their activities, they will resurface,” he said. “They may even attempt to attack us in different parts of the country.” |
| In Maiduguri, militants often come from and blend in with the civilian population, and in the extreme north, soldiers were searching house to house for Boko Haram members, according to a military official who was not authorized to speak publicly. | In Maiduguri, militants often come from and blend in with the civilian population, and in the extreme north, soldiers were searching house to house for Boko Haram members, according to a military official who was not authorized to speak publicly. |
Hamza Idris contributed from Bauchi, Nigeria. | Hamza Idris contributed from Bauchi, Nigeria. |