Boko Haram kills 'dozens' in attack on Nigerian market

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29297402

Gunmen shot at traders and customers as they raided the busy market for food supplies on Friday.

The number of casualties is not yet clear, with some reports suggesting as many as 30 people were killed.

Boko Haram has taken control of a series of towns and villages in north-eastern Nigeria in recent weeks.

Authorities have struggled to defeat the militant Islamist group, which has been waging an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009.

The BBC's Will Ross, in Lagos, warns that parts of north-eastern Nigeria are slipping further and further out of the government's control, creating a growing humanitarian crisis.
'Pandemonium'

Many residents fled Mainok after the attack, making it difficult to obtain accurate information.

Reuters news agency quotes two security sources as saying that at least 36 people, including 13 gunmen, were killed in the gun battle, which continued into Saturday.