News / Nigeria

Twin blasts kill 5 in northeast Nigeria

Sunday, 01 February 2015 5:46 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 01 February 2015 5:46 PM ]

A police detective inspects the site of a bomb blast in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, July 30, 2014. (AFP photo)

Two bomb blasts have claimed the lives of at least five people in the northeastern Nigerian city of Gombe.

According to reports on Sunday, the first explosion targeted the Tsohuwar Kasuwa market in Gombe, killing 2 people.

Later in the day, a bomber blew his explosives up at a security checkpoint in the Kasuwar Katako area, leaving three people dead including a soldier.

The explosions came hours after another bomb attack targeted a political meeting of the country’s ruling People’s Democratic Party in Potiskum city and killed 8 people.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the bombings. However, the Nigerian government blames such attacks on Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group.

Boko Haram has intensified its attacks in the violence-wracked northeastern Nigeria just two weeks before the country’s presidential election.

On Saturday, the African Union (AU) announced its decision to dispatch 7,500 troops to the northeastern Nigeria in a bid to combat the rising threat of Boko Haram terrorist group.

Iran has also voiced its readiness to cooperate with the AU in the fight against Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” controls large parts of northeastern Nigeria and says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.

It has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its operations in 2009, which have left over 13,000 people dead and 1.5 million displaced.

Boko Haram has also conducted military operations in Nigeria’s neighboring countries, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

FNR/SS

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