Authorities report at least 18 killed, dozens injured in Nigeria suicide attacks

NIGERIA – At least 18 people have reportedly been killed and dozens injured after a series of blasts by suspected female suicide bombers targeted a wedding, hospital and a funeral in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.

Three blasts reportedly took place on Saturday in the town of Gwoza, which lied across the border from Cameroon, Borno State police Spokesman, Nahum Kenneth Daso, said on Sunday.

According to a report by Al-Jazeera, in one of the attacks, which took place at about 3:45pm (14:45 GMT), a woman carrying a baby on her back “detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) she had on her at a crowded motor park”, Daso said.

The suicide bombers reportedly also targeted a hospital in the same town. Another attack was later carried out at the funeral for victims of the wedding blast, authorities said.

“So far, 18 deaths comprising children, men, females and pregnant women” have been reported, agency head Barkindo Saidu said in a report. Nineteen “seriously injured” people were taken to the regional capital, Maiduguri, while 23 others were awaiting evacuation.

A member of a militia assisting the military in Gwoza said two of their colleagues and a soldier were also killed in a separate attack on a security post. However, authorities did not immediately confirm the deaths.

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