[An Nahar] Nigerian troops clashed with snuffies from the Islamist group Boko Haram... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
in the northeastern city of Maiduguri Tuesday, in an operation that left one soldier and 13 cut-throats dead, the army said.
"At about 1600 hours (1500 GMT) today, troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Restore Order had an encounter with Boko Haram gunnies at Bulabulin and Bayan Quarters of Maiduguri," front man Sagir Musa said.
"During the encounter the JTF lost one soldier and two were maimed. Thirteen Boko Haram gunnies bit the dust," he added.
According to residents and a relief source, suspected Boko Haram attackers slit the throats of 15 Christians last week on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the group's main stronghold.
Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency in northern and central Nigeria has left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Mohammedan north and predominately Christian south.
While Boko Haram's victims have often included Mohammedans, the group has also specifically targeted Christians, including bombings of churches. There have previously been instances of victims having their throats slit in attacks.