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Nigeria: Female suicide bombers kill 22 worshippers in mosque

Nigeria

Two female suicide bombers killed at least 22 people leaving several others injured in an explosion, Nigerian rescue officials say.

Wednesday’s attack took place in a mosque during early morning prayers on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, birthplace of the deadly Boko Haram insurgency.

Female suicide bombers behind Maiduguri attack that killed 22 – Nigerian Army https://t.co/X3ozrGWHlY

— Premium Times (@PremiumTimesng) March 16, 2016

According to one Abba Aji, coordinator of the civilian self-defense Vigilante Group, the second assailant detonated her bomb outside the mosque as survivors rushed out of the mosque.

The Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has also confirmed that about 17 people were wounded in the attack and had been evacuated to the hospital. It is the third attack on the village occupied by people dislodged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The mosque is located in Umarari, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital and command center of the Nigerian military’s war against Boko Haram insurgents.

UPDATE: Improvised Explosive Device Attack In Ummarari, Maiduguri https://t.co/AbxeXNnugZ pic.twitter.com/baJZUUKBUm

— NTA News (@NTANewsNow) March 16, 2016

The militant group has resorted to the use of suicide bombing to attack soft civilian targets ever since the army intensified its onslaught on the group.

It is the first attack on Maiduguri since December 28, when Boko Haram attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, leading to the death of an estimated 50 people.

Boko Haram insurgency

The Nigerian army since the assumption of power by President Buhari have taken the anti terror fight to Boko Haram insurgents, who claim to be fighting towards the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria’s northeast.

As a result of their activities, several lives have been lost and millions have been displaced from their homes in a six-year insurgency that has threatened the peace of three Nigerian states namely, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; all in the northeast.

Beyond Nigeria, the activities of Boko Haram have gone as far as threatening the Lake Chad region comprising Niger, Cameroon’s far north region and Chad. That situation led to the formation of a Multinational Task force to fight the insurgents.

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