The Boko Haram militant group is showing no signs of letting up on its reign of terror in Nigeria and carried out a series of lethal raids in the northeast region of the country this week, resulting in hundreds of people dead.

The Islamist militant group carried out the raids in villages in northeast Nigeria, killing at least 200 civilians and destroying hundreds of homes.

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The extremists used a similar tactic to the one employed to kidnap 300 schoolgirls in April, namely dressing up as soldiers and gathering villagers together with the promise of protecting them. The group then opened fire until nearly all the village residents were dead.

Community leaders in the three settlements affected by the attacks claimed that the military failed to intervene despite previous warnings of possible Boko Haram violence in the region.

Few eyewitnesses were able to escape to tell the harrowing tale: the extremist sect approached the villages in Toyota Hilux pickup trucks, vehicles commonly used by the military, and reassured civilians that they were there for their protection.

However, after gathering villagers together, the militants began shouting 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar' at the top of their voices before unleashing a continuous wave  of bullets upon their unarmed victims.

This is only one of the many recent attacks which Boko Haram has inflicted upon the devastated nation. The group wishes to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria and has been taking over villages in the northeast, kidnapping, and terrorizing residents and political leaders alike.

The five-year-old insurgency has left thousands of people dead, with more than 2,000 in this year alone, and authorities estimate that around 750,000 Nigerians have been displaced from their homes.

Monday's attack is considered to be the deadliest so far and officials are reportedly still compiling a list of the casualties so it is possible the death toll may rise above 200, reports state.  

TagsBoko Haram, attack, Nigeria, militant group