At least 17 people were killed in a series of suicide bomb attacks in northeast Nigeria Wednesday, as Boko Haram released a new video saying its leader was still alive and in charge of the terrorist group.
At least 17 people were killed in a series of suicide bomb attacks in northeast Nigeria Wednesday, as Boko Haram released a new video saying its leader was still alive and in charge of the terrorist group.
The worst of the violence struck the Yobe state capital of Damaturu, which was rocked by triple blasts that killed 14 people and left 10 others injured, according to Bashir Idris Garga, Yobe state coordinator at the National Emergency Management Agency.
Damaturu has been repeatedly attacked during Boko Haram's six-year insurgency. Last month, a girl thought to be aged 12 killed six when the explosives she was carrying went off outside a bus station.
Garga said the first blast Wednesday happened at a small food store, killing four. Another near a mosque killed one, while nine, including a family, lost their lives when a bomber struck a Fulani settlement on the outskirts of the city.
Yobe governor Ibrahim Gaidam called the attacks "cowardly and barbaric" and urged improvements in surveillance.
State police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told AFP "gun-wielding bombers" carried out the attacks between 5:30 and 6:00 am (0400 to 0500 GMT), before the night-time curfew was lifted.
In neighboring Borno state, police said three people were killed in a suicide bombing in Gubio, some 85 kilometers (50 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri.
State police commissioner Aderemi Opadokun said two attackers "detonated improvised explosive devices strapped on their bodies... killing themselves and three locals".
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's bloodshed, it came after Boko Haram militants earlier this week said they carried out three suicide attacks near Abuja last Friday that left 18 dead.
Boko Haram has also continued to attack neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, underlining its threat to regional security.
