• World
  • Nigeria

Satellite Images Show Nigerian Town ‘Almost Wiped Off the Map’ After Boko Haram Attack

2 minute read

A new set of before and after satellite images released by Amnesty International shows two towns in Nigeria’s restive northeast were hit hard by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in a days-long attack earlier this month.

Images provided by DigitalGlobe from Jan. 2 show Baga and Doron Baga before the assault. Ones from Jan. 7 then show, according to the international watchdog, that more than 3,700 buildings in both towns had been damaged or destroyed by fire since the pictures five days before. (Healthy vegetation is shown in red; and destroyed buildings are in yellow.)

MORE 5 Facts That Explain the Threat From Nigeria’s Boko Haram

“These detailed images show devastation of catastrophic proportions in two towns, one of which was almost wiped off the map in the space of four days,” said Daniel Eyre, an Amnesty researcher on Nigeria. “Of all Boko Haram assaults analyzed by Amnesty International, this is the largest and most destructive yet.”

The death toll remains unclear, hovering between 150 and up to 2,000. An uptick in attacks by Boko Haram has cast a shadow over the country’s elections planned for next month.

Read next: Back and Forth in Central African Republic’s Unholy War

Listen to the most important stories of the day.

Doro Baga (AKA: Doro Gowon) 2 Jan 2015
An overhead view of the village of Doro Baga is in northeastern Nigeria on Jan. 2, 2015, before the attack. (This shows an example of the densely packed structures and tree cover before the attack.)Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Doro Baga ( AKA: Doro Gowon) 7 Jan 2015
The village of Doro Baga is seen in northeastern Nigeria on Jan. 7, 2015, after the attack. (This shows almost all structures were razed. Areas in red show healthy vegetation.)Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Baga after Boko Haram attack 7/1/15
This overhead image shows more than 620 structures predominantly in the southern portion of Baga, northeastern Nigeria, on Jan. 7, 2015. (The yellow dots represent damaged or destroyed structures.Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Baga Satelitte Image, 7/1/15
This image show many of the thatch roof structures are razed in Baga, northeastern Nigeria, on Jan. 7, 2015. (The dark color represents the burned areas while red indicates healthy vegetation.)Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Boats on shore of Lake Chad - before and after
Two satellite images taken on Jan. 2 and Jan. 7, 2015, which show the shore of Lake Chad at Doro Baga, northeastern Nigeria. (The boats visible in the Jan. 2 image are no longer present on Jan. 7.)Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Doro Baga Satellite view on 2 Jan 2015 and 7 Jan 2015
Above is a satellite image that shows densely packed structures and tree cover in Doro Baga, northeastern Nigeria, on Jan. 2, 2015. Below, in an image on Jan. 7, shows almost all of the structures razed. (Red areas indicate healthy vegetation.)Micah Farfour—DigitalGlobe
Baga, North Eastern Nigeria Satellite view on 2 Jan 2015 and 7 Jan 2015
Above is a Jan. 2, 2015, image of Baga, northeastern Nigeria, when many thatch roof structures are visible. (These had been rebuilt since the attack on Baga in April 2013.) Below, in the Jan. 7 image, shows many of them were razed. (The dark color represents burned areas, while the red indicates heathy vegetation.)Micah Farfour—© DigitalGlobe
Baga, North Eastern Nigeria, Satellite view on 7 Jan 2015
An overhead view of Baga, in northeastern Nigeria, on Jan. 7, 2015, after the attack.Micah Farfour—© DigitalGlobe

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com