SW News: The abduction and killing spree in Nigerian is continuing with impunity. Militants of the dreaded Boko Haram outfit raided the Pemi community in the Chibok region of Borno state in the north, killing several Christians and kidnapping no less than 17 girls. In the attack that took place on January 20, the militants also torched two churches and two houses.

According to news reports, the area where the attack took place is the epicenter of Boko Haram’s decade-long fight with federal troops. In a statement, the outfit claimed responsibility for the attack and abduction.

Authorities have launched a search for the abducted girls. The Islamist outfit, which is against Christianity and anything Western, is notorious for butchering Christians and abducting young girls en masse. In 2014, about 300 teenage girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram, of which more than 100 are yet to be reunited with their families.

The Boko Haram insurgency began in July 2009 with an armed revolt against the Nigerian government. The militants' ultimate goal is to establish an Islamic state in the region. Over the years, the militants got more active and began seizing significant parts of northeastern Nigeria. Over the years, the jihadist conflict has claimed the lives of over 40,000 people and displaced over 2 million.