A flurry of violence in northeastern Nigeria on Saturday evening left more than three dozen people dead and may have taken many more lives.
Dozens of attackers in military uniforms stormed the village of Mainok, riding four-wheelers and motorcycles, as residents were preparing for evening prayers.
"They came in around 7 p.m. and opened fire indiscriminately with RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), explosives and AK-47 rifles," said Mainok resident Yahaya Umar. "They killed 39 people who were buried this morning and destroyed the whole town."
Mainok residents blamed the Islamist group Boko Haram, which has attacked the village several times over the past two years. Last July, a Boko Haram raid killed 25 people there.
Military and police authorities were not available for comment on the attack.
The attack on Mainok came soon after two explosions in Maiduguri, 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.
"We were just lamenting the twin blasts in Maiduguri at the soccer viewing center when the Boko Haram gunmen arrived and started firing volleys of RPGs and guns," Abdullahi Gana said. The Mainok resident added that some of the victims were burnt in their homes while others were shot as they tried to flee.
The Maiduguri blasts happened about two minutes apart, as a crowd watched soccer on television there as well, said Maiduguri resident Goni Kakani.
"It is difficult to say how many people died in the blasts, but you are talking of dozens of dead people," said resident Babagoni Hassan.
A security official said it was not immediately clear how many people had been injured or killed.
Maiduguri and Mainok are both in the state of Borno, the site of repeated Boko Haram incursions.
Mechanic Dahiru Sadiq said he and his customers ran for their lives after hearing the explosions.
"I can see smoke and flames across the road, though I don't know which building is on fire," he said.
Another resident, Muktar Lawan, saw destroyed buildings.
"All the houses in the area shook and many buildings are razed and reduced to rubble," Lawan said.