This week's persecuted church: Nigeria

Suspected Islamist extremists have killed 15 Christians by slitting their throats in an attack on a village in Nigeria's volatile northeast, residents and a relief source said Sunday. The gruesome violence was the latest to be blamed on Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, though this Christmas season has been notably less bloody than in 2011, when attacks on churches and other locations left scores dead.

"From the information we gathered, the attackers broke into selected homes and slaughtered 15 people in their sleep," the relief official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Authorities had previously confirmed the predawn Friday attack in Musari, but gave few details and said only five were killed. Musari is located on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Boko Haram's base.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for a military task force in the area, told AFP on Sunday that he stood by the toll of five dead, adding that some were shot and others attacked with machetes. Nigerian authorities tend to under-report death tolls however, and the relief official's information matched up with that of residents, who spoke of 15 people having their throats slit.

Thought of the Day: Winter Camp
Song of the Day: Sara Groves-Maybe There's a Loving God