Nearly 30 people have lost their lives and scores of others sustained injuries when two bomb explosions ripped through a mosque in Nigeria’s violence-plagued northeastern state of Borno.
A self-defense fighter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a bomber walked into the mosque in Jiddari Polo neighborhood of the city of Maiduguri, located approximately 870 kilometers (540 miles) north of the capital, Abuja, at around 5 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Friday, and detonated his explosives, killing 28 people.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the act of violence. However, Nigerian officials usually blame such attacks on the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorists.
The development came only two days after a large group of Boko Haram militants, fleeing a military offensive on their camp in the Nganzai district, opened fire on four cars just outside Jingalta village, 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Maiduguri, killing 20 passengers.
On October 15, two bombers, disguised as worshipers, struck a mosque in the western Molai neighborhood of Maiduguri, where people had converged for evening prayers. At least 42 people have lost their lives
Nigeria has intensified its crackdown on Boko Haram as the terrorist group continues to wreak havoc across the country through bombings, raids and kidnappings.
In a meeting with commander of the United States Africa Command General David Rodriguez, on October 14, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called for the “final routing of Boko Haram as an organized fighting force” by the end of the year.
The Boko Haram militancy began in 2009, when the terrorist group started an armed rebellion against the government. At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless since then.
The Boko Harman militancy has also spilled over into several neighboring African nations as well. Troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been battling Boko Haram terrorists in recent months.
The terrorists have pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh militant group, which is primarily operating inside Syria and neighboring Iraq.
