Civilians attacked in Maiduguri by Army After an attack that killed a lieutenant

Nigerian soldiers have shot dead more than 30 civilians in the northeastern city of Maiduguri after their colleague was killed, according to news agencies.

Monday's attack was carried out by soldiers attached to a special army unit policing Maiduguri, A soldier nearby, who did not identify himself, claimed the attack was a response to a bombing nearby earlier on Monday that he said killed an army lieutenant.

"They killed our officer!" the soldier shouted. "We had no options!" an army spokesman in Abuja said that "there was an attack on an armed patrol vehicle in which it is believed two to four soldiers were killed".

State officials declined to comment about the killings and urged those traveling with the convoy not to take photographs of
the destruction out of fear of further alienating those living in the region.

Nigeria's military has been accused of committing so-called "extrajudicial killings" while in pursuit of Boko Haram. The military now routinely claims massive operations with dozens of people killed, always referred to as Boko Haram members or sympathisers, announcements that cannot be independently verified.

The military also downplays its own casualties suffered during the operations. Aljazeera