At least 30 people were killed in Nigeria’s Borno region after suspected Boko Haram Islamists set trucks carrying passengers ablaze, eyewitnesses and residents told Reuters.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Boko Haram group and rival Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) splinter group often attack in the area.
Passengers were stranded at a military check point due to the curfew in Auno before the attack, resident Bunu Ali who witnessed the attack said.
Auno is 24 km from state capital Maiduguri. Eyewitness said the insurgents attacked on motorcycles shooting sporadically. They set at least 18 vehicles ablaze and abducted people, another eyewitness said.
A Nigerian Army commander said the casualty figure was less because the military recovered 10 bodies. He said the military closed the road to curb insurgency.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, adding he was receiving more military hardware and intelligence to counter security challenges, a statement from the presidential office said.
Borno is the epicentre of the Boko Haram and ISWA insurgency. The conflict has lasted a decade, during which militants killed thousands and millions fled from their homes.