In Nigeria, an Insurgency Leaves a Heavy Toll

The landscape of this scarred metropolis attests to a heavy human toll.

Burned, razed and bullet-pocked buildings mark where troops mounted their bloody assault against a strict Islamic sect last week. Residents remain in barracks and police stations, afraid to return to what is left of their homes.And security forces continue going door to door in search of sect members, perpetuating the city’s sense of fear.

“Once they find anyone who they believe is a member, they just execute them right there, and this is something that started over the weekend,” said one resident, Ibrahim Nijdda, contending that his uncle had been killed in the fighting.
(nytimes.com; August 3, 2009)

伤痕累累的城市场景见证了它所遭受的重创。这里到处都被烧毁了，已被夷为平地，建筑物上都是弹痕。上周军队在这里进行了反伊斯兰教的血腥攻击，当地居民依旧待在兵营和警察局里，不敢回到他们被遗弃的家。安全部队继续门挨门地寻找教派成员，使得城市的恐怖气氛依然存在。一位当地居民称，从周末开始，部队一旦发现教派成员，就会当场处决。他的叔叔也死在这场战斗中。