The US Secretary of State, John Kerry said the killing of civilians in northeastern Nigeria by Boko Haram over recent days, was "nothing less" than a crime against humanity, reports VoA.
Speaking a day after satellite images were released by Amnesty International, showing the destruction of buildings in two towns targetted by Boko Haram fighters, Mr Kerry said that the group was "one of the most evil and threatening terrorist entities on the planet today."
"It's an enormously horrendous slaughter of innocent people, and Boko Haram continues to present a serious threat not just to Nigeria and the region but to all of our values and to all of our sense of responsibility regarding terrorism," he added.
The satellite images, showing before and after photographs of the towns of Baga and Doron Baga, show that around 3700 structures have been destroyed by the group. Interviewing survivors, Amnesty reported that hundreds of civilians, including children, were shot dead.