Gunman Kills Three Chadians in Northeast Nigeria

An unidentified gunman has shot dead three Chadian nationals in the northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu, hard hit by violence blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram, police said Tuesday.

The gunman armed with a rifle stole mobile phones from the Chadian masons and shot them dead on Monday in the Pompomari area of the city, a neighborhood torn in recent weeks by Islamist attacks and a military crackdown.

"A gunman walked up to three Chadian builders sitting outside a house and dispossessed them of their mobile phones and opened fire on them, killing all three on the spot in an unprovoked attack," Yobe state police commissioner Lawan Tanko said.

Damaturu, located in Yobe state, is near the Chadian border.