The exact death toll in Baga and 16 surrounding villages is unknown, with estimates ranging from “dozens” to 2000 or more. “No one stayed back to count bodies,” one local resident told Human Rights Watch. “We were all running to get out of town ahead of Boko Haram fighters who have since taken over the area.” Satellite imagery acquired by Human Rights Watch reveals evidence of large-scale destruction, particularly in the town of Doro Gowon, the site of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) base, a few kilometers from Baga. Nigeria, Chad, and Niger established the MNJTF in 1998, initially to check criminal activities in the border areas between the three countries. The MNJTF expanded in 2012 to include Cameroon and Benin and cover counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram in the region. The satellite images, taken in the days following the attacks, provide direct evidence of extensive areas of fire-related damages to local buildings and trees, consistent with a systematic camp...
From the section Asia Media caption Indonesian media say more than 160 people were on board the Airbus A320-200 An AirAsia flight travelling from Indonesia to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control with 162 people on board. Flight QZ8501 lost contact at 07:24 (23:24 GMT), Malaysia-based AirAsia tweeted . Search and rescue operations are under way. Malaysia's national carrier Malaysia Airlines has suffered two disasters this year - flights MH370 and MH17 - but AirAsia has never lost a plane. Flight MH370 disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July, killing all 298 on board. The AirAsia flight had been due to arrive in Singapore at 08:30 (00:30GMT). The missing jet had requested a "deviation" from the flight path due to bad weather, the company said. The flight arrivals board at Changi Airport in Singapore, where the AirAsia flight was due There were 155 passengers o...
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