As many as 2,000 are dead in what’s being called the deadliest massacre to be carried out by Boko Haram yet.  

The terrorist group Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist group, invaded and torched the Nigerian town of Baga on Wednesday, after overthrowing a military base the weekend prior.  They burnt to the ground all 16 towns and villages of Baga.  Many of the mortally wounded were women, children, and the elderly, who could not run fast enough to escape.  Survivors sought refuge in lake Chad, where some, sadly, drowned; others sought refuge on neighboring islands, where they remain stranded.

The military fought back against Boko Haram, but was forced to abandon the battle, ultimately leaving civilians to fend for themselves.

Mike Omeri, a government spokesperson, issued a statement today, saying “Security forces have responded rapidly, and have deployed significant military assets and conducted airstrikes against militant targets.”

Meanwhile, however, survivors are left to pick up the pieces.  The exact death toll is still unknown, but is expected to be close to 2,000 deaths, making it the single most deadliest attack yet.  ”The human carnage perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga was enormous,” remarked Muhammad Abba Gava, the president of a defense group for civilians fighting against the terrorists. “No one could attend to the corpses and even the seriously injured ones who may have died by now.”

Prior to Wednesday’s attack, Baga was one of the last few towns in Nigeria’s state of Borno that remained under government control.