Title: Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist group? - BBC News
Headings: Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist group?
Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist group?
Resisting British rule
Boko Haram at a glance
What is jihadism?
Recruiting ground
Facial marks
Foreign links
Chronic poverty
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Content: This led to shoot-outs on Maiduguri's streets. Hundreds of Boko Haram supporters were killed and thousands of residents fled the city. Nigeria's security forces eventually seized the group's headquarters, capturing its fighters and killing Mr Yusuf. His body was shown on state television and the security forces declared Boko Haram finished. image copyright
AFP
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A regional coalition has recaptured much territory from Boko Haram
But its fighters regrouped under a new leader, Abubakar Shekau, and stepped up their insurgency. In 2013, the US designated it a terrorist organisation, amid fears that it had developed links with other militant groups, such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, to wage a global jihad. Facial marks
Boko Haram's trademark was originally the use of gunmen on motorbikes, killing police, politicians and anyone who criticised it, including clerics from other Muslim traditions and Christian preachers. The group then began to carry out more audacious attacks in northern and central Nigeria, including bombing churches, bus ranks, bars, military barracks and even the police and UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja. Amid growing concern about the escalating violence, the government declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in the three northern states where Boko Haram was strongest - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. image copyright
AFP
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A global campaign was launched for the release of the Chobok girls
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AFP
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Thousands of reinforcements have been sent to Maiduguri
It draws its fighters mainly from the Kanuri ethnic group, which is the largest in the three states.