As world watches ISIS, Boko Haram named deadliest extremist group
Whilst the world's focus is on ISIS, following the Russian plane bombing and Paris attacks, Islamist group, Boko Haram, has just been named by the Global Terrorism Index as the world's deadliest extremist group, killing 6,644 last year, compared to 6,073 by ISIS over the same period; both groups are responsible for 51% of terrorism-related deaths worldwide. Only this week, Boko Haram were blamed for the killing of 32 people, and injuring 80, in a market in Yola, Nigeria, and yesterday, two suicide bombers killed 11 people in a market in the northern city of Kano, again attributed to Boko Haram.  This has been a change in strategy for the group, following the success of the Nigerian army in reclaiming significant portions of territory from the militant group; their ability to launch large-scale attacks has been weakened so they have now turned to "soft targets", killing civilians in mosques, markets and other public areas.

People raise candles in memoriam of the 267 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in 2014.

A suicide bombing likely carried out by the Islamist group has killed 32 people and injured dozens at a market in Nigeria.

Updated on November 18 at 4:52 p.m.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited the northern city of Yola on Saturday, awarding medals to three soldiers who were wounded in military operations against Boko Haram, the Islamist group that has killed thousands of people in the country. Government forces, Buhari said, were winning.

“With what I have seen today, I believe that the Boko Haram are very close to defeat, and I urge you to quickly clear the remnants of these criminals from wherever they may still be hiding,” he said.

Just days later, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb in a crowded fruit and vegetable market in Yola, killing 32 people and injuring 80 others. The explosion, heard across the city, according to witnesses , occurred at about 7:52 p.m. local time Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency in Nigeria said on its website

On Wednesday afternoon, two female suicide bombers killed 11 people in a market in the northern city of Kano, according to the BBC.

Officials suspect Boko Haram was behind both attacks, but the group has not claimed responsibility for either. The Nigerian military this year has reclaimed significant portions of territory seized by the militant group, which is attempting to create an Islamic state. The group’s ability to mount large-scale attacks and abductions weakened, Boko Haram has turned to “soft targets”—markets, mosques, and other public spaces. In late October, a suicide bombing attack at a mosque in Yola killed 27 people

People present at or near Tuesday’s blast say the bustling market was instantly transformed into a devastating crime scene.

I helped to load 32 dead bodies into five vehicles.” “The ground near my shop was covered with dead bodies,” Alhaji Ahmed, who owns a shop in the market, told Reuters. “

Aisha Aliyu, a young girl, told the Times a friend and the woman’s four children had died.

“It is really tragic for us,” she said. Aliyu’s two young cousins had narrowly missed the explosion.

Late Tuesday night, Facebook activated its “safety check” feature in Nigeria, which allows users to mark themselves as safe. The social-media network used the feature Friday night when terrorists killed 129 people across Paris. The decision drew criticism from some users because Facebook hadn’t done the same for Beirut, where 43 people were killed by a suicide bomber a day earlier. Before last week, Facebook had only activated the safety check after earthquakes in Afghanistan, Chile, and Nepal.

Buhari, who took office in May, offered his condolences to the families of the victims of Tuesday’s attack on Twitter, and renewed his campaign promise to destroy Boko Haram.

“The enemies of humanity will never win," he tweeted. “Hand in hand, we will rid our land of terrorism.”

Boko Haram, which adheres to strict Sharia law and opposes Western-style education, was established in 2002 and launched its military insurgency in 2009. In April 2014, militants abducted 267 schoolgirls in Chibok, a primarily Christian village. None have been found. In March, it aligned itself with the Islamic State, calling itself the group’s “West African province.”

On Wednesday, a new report found Boko Haram is the world’s deadliest extremist group. According to the Global Terrorism Index, published by the New York City-based Institute for Economics and Peace, deaths attributed to the militant group increased by 317 percent in 2014 to 6,644. Deaths by the Islamic State stood at 6,073. Both groups are responsible for 51 percent of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.