Pastor, 2 kids killed as Boko Haram opens fire in church

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists on Thursday opened fire in a church in Nigeria’s restive northeast, killing the pastor and his two children before setting fire to the building and fleeing, the military said.

Boko Haram, which has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, has repeatedly attacked churches in its four-year insurgency.
The killings occurred in the town of Dorawa, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the site of a brutal school attack in July that saw dozens of students slaughtered.
Yobe was one of three northeastern states placed under a state of emergency in mid-May as the military launched a major offensive aimed at crushing Boko Haram.
Yobe has seen less violence than neighbouring Borno State, Boko Haram’s base, but the insurgents have carried out major attacks there.
Attacks on churches, including suicide bombings, were once a near weekly occurence but have declined in recent months.
Since the emergency measures were imposed Boko Haram has largely targeted civilians as well as vigilance groups which have formed to help the military.
The latest violence came after the emergence of a new video, in which a man who resembles Boko Haram’s leader mocked reports of his possible death.