KANO  - Gunmen believed to be from extremist group Boko Haram opened fire at a market in volatile northeastern Nigeria, killing 18 people, a local official. "Some gunmen came into the market yesterday afternoon and opened fire on a group of hunters," local chief Abba Ahmed told journalists. "Eighteen people were killed in the attack." There were conflicting reasons given for the attack. According to Ahmed, there were claims that the militants were angry over the hunters selling meat such as pork. Other residents however spoke of hunters in the area recently banding together to form a local vigilante group in response to robberies by Boko Haram members, sparking a revenge attack from the militants.
 Hunters typically sell their game at the market in Damboa where the attack occurred. Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency in northern and central Nigeria has left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces. Damboa is located near the city of Maiduguri, the heart of the insurgency and where Boko Haram has been based. There has been a lull in major attacks in recent weeks in Nigeria, but there were two high-profile attacks at the weekend.