At least 12 killed as suicide blasts rock NE Nigeria

At least 12 people were killed following two suicide blasts in northeastern Nigeria's Maiduguri city early Monday, according to eyewitnesses.

A suspected female suicide bomber wreaked havoc in a local mosque in London Chinki axis of the city, killing some 10 people, Xinhua learned.

This was followed by another attack which claimed at least two lives in Molai town, located on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern state of Borno.

The government emergency management said only eight bodies have been evacuated so far by its rescue personnel, adding 15 others were injured in the attacks.

A coordinator of the rescue agency said soldiers shot dead two female suicide bombers who attempted to cross the security trenches at Mammanti area, also located on the outskirts of Maiduguri, late Sunday.

Soldiers guarding the trenches shot the women as a result of which the explosive strapped to their bodies detonated, blowing them to pieces, the rescue coordinator added.

Maiduguri, the largest city in Nigeria's northeast, has recently come under series of attacks, including the University of Maiduguri where over a dozen people have been killed, including a professor.

Terror group Boko Haram has launched more than 40 attacks which have resulted in civilian deaths so far in 2017, according to media reports.

Last month, Maiduguri was jolted by bombings during Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

Boko Haram, which is suspected to be responsible for Monday's attacks, has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.

source: xinhua